Malaysia's finance ministry announced on Tuesday a new board of directors for scandal-hit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), after the previous board was dissolved following a parliamentary inquiry into the state fund.

The new three-member board would be chaired by Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, secretary-general of treasury for the finance ministry, and includes Norazman Ayob, senior private secretary to the chief secretary of government, and Kamal Mohd Ali, chief operating officer of Prokhas Sdn Bhd, an advisory and project management firm owned by the finance ministry.

The ministry also said in a statement that "tangible progress" is being made on transfer of ownership of 1MDB's real estate assets - Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, TRX City Sdn Bhd, Air Itam lands and Pulau Indah land - to the finance ministry.

&nbsp;

Malaysia's finance ministry announced on Tuesday a new board of directors for scandal-hit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), after the previous board was dissolved following a parliamentary inquiry into the state fund.

Malaysia's finance ministry announced on Tuesday a new board of directors for scandal-hit 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), after the previous board was dissolved following a parliamentary inquiry into the state fund. The new three-member board would be chaired by Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, secretary-general of treasury for the finance ministry, and includes Norazman Ayob, senior private secretary to the chief secretary of government, and Kamal Mohd Ali, chief operating officer of Prokhas Sdn Bhd, an advisory and project management firm owned by the finance ministry. The ministry also said in a statement that "tangible progress" is being made on transfer of ownership of 1MDB's real estate assets - Bandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, TRX City Sdn Bhd, Air Itam lands and Pulau Indah land - to the finance ministry.

Malaysia's finance ministry appoints new 1MDB board of directors

Law enforcement and regulatory forces in Asia say they are gearing up to fight illegal gambling operators who have ramped up activities in the region ahead of the World Cup, making use of savvy technology and cryptocurrencies to evade prosecution.

Illegal gambling on the cup is prevalent in countries like Thailand and Malaysia, where football is hugely popular, but which don't have legal betting alternatives, gambling industry experts say.

Even in South Korea and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong - where betting is legal under registered bodies - illegal gambling on average dwarfs the legal market, they say.

Illegal bookmakers have shifted to online and mobile platforms, which offer a wider range of betting options than legal vendors, making it harder for enforcement agencies to police, the experts say.

Hong Kong and Macau police have said crime syndicates have often used platforms like WeChat to place bets.

Online payment providers and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have also made it easier for illegal operators to facilitate illegal bets, according to Interpol, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs Hong Kong's horse racing and football betting franchise.

"There is a need to develop and execute a sustainable enforcement strategy for a lasting impact against illegal betting and related transnational organised crime," said Martin Purbrick, the club's director of security and integrity.

The Jockey Club estimates Hong Kong's illegal betting turnover this year, including the World Cup, will be at least $68 billion, compared to $6.5 billion in Singapore and $79 billion in South Korea annually.

Hong Kong earns around 5 per cent of its budget from taxing legal gambling and views illegal betting as lost potential revenue. The Jockey Club put the potential loss at about HK$13 billion ($1.7 billion) this year.

Illegal bookmakers in Hong Kong are expected to reap HK$750 million during the World Cup alone, the club said.

Illegal betting this year is expected to be far larger than during the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil, helped by the closer time zones between Russia and countries in the Asia region, according to gambling industry executives.

Asia accounts for 80 per cent of the estimated $500 billion in illegal betting volumes globally, according to Transparency International and the Asian Racing Federation.

Much of the illegal betting is facilitated by companies registered offshore, particularly in the Philippines, which sells online betting licenses to operators.

While operators can claim to be licensed in the Philippines, their sites are illegal in most jurisdictions in Asia, including Hong Kong and South Korea.

Since 2016, Philippine authorities have clamped down on illegal betting operators but there has still been a proliferation in the number of sites in operation, according to officials and executives in the country.

Alfredo Lim, president of PAGCOR, the Philippine gaming regulator, said the bureau was collaborating with government agencies to fight illegal gambling.

"We lose millions from unlawful gambling," Lim said.

In South Korea, police said they would closely monitor illegal sports betting during the World Cup. Hong Kong police said they were conducting a large anti-gambling operation called "Crowbreak" to crack down on illegal gambling activities.

Macau, the world's biggest gambling centre, is expected to see revenues squeezed in June due to more Chinese gamblers wagering on the World Cup than in the enclave's glitzy casinos, according to gaming analysts.

Police in China broke up a large illegal online gambling ring in April, arresting more than 100 people, the Xinhua news agency reported, while Macau police have broken up illegal betting operations conducted via the popular WeChat app.

At the last World Cup in 2014, Interpol said during a six-week operation across China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, law enforcement officers cracked crime gangs estimated to have handled around $2.2 billion worth of bets, mainly through illicit websites.

Illegal gambling on the cup is prevalent in countries like Thailand and Malaysia, where football is hugely popular, but which don't have legal betting alternatives, gambling industry experts say

Law enforcement and regulatory forces in Asia say they are gearing up to fight illegal gambling operators who have ramped up activities in the region ahead of the World Cup, making use of savvy technology and cryptocurrencies to evade prosecution. Illegal gambling on the cup is prevalent in countries like Thailand and Malaysia, where football is hugely popular, but which don't have legal betting alternatives, gambling industry experts say. Even in South Korea and the Chinese territory of Hong Kong - where betting is legal under registered bodies - illegal gambling on average dwarfs the legal market, they say. Illegal bookmakers have shifted to online and mobile platforms, which offer a wider range of betting options than legal vendors, making it harder for enforcement agencies to police, the experts say. Hong Kong and Macau police have said crime syndicates have often used platforms like WeChat to place bets. Online payment providers and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have also made it easier for illegal operators to facilitate illegal bets, according to Interpol, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which runs Hong Kong's horse racing and football betting franchise. "There is a need to develop and execute a sustainable enforcement strategy for a lasting impact against illegal betting and related transnational organised crime," said Martin Purbrick, the club's director of security and integrity. The Jockey Club estimates Hong Kong's illegal betting turnover this year, including the World Cup, will be at least $68 billion, compared to $6.5 billion in Singapore and $79 billion in South Korea annually. Hong Kong earns around 5 per cent of its budget from taxing legal gambling and views illegal betting as lost potential revenue. The Jockey Club put the potential loss at about HK$13 billion ($1.7 billion) this year. Illegal bookmakers in Hong Kong are expected to reap HK$750 million during the World Cup alone, the club said. Illegal betting this year is expected to be far larger than during the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil, helped by the closer time zones between Russia and countries in the Asia region, according to gambling industry executives. Asia accounts for 80 per cent of the estimated $500 billion in illegal betting volumes globally, according to Transparency International and the Asian Racing Federation. Much of the illegal betting is facilitated by companies registered offshore, particularly in the Philippines, which sells online betting licenses to operators. While operators can claim to be licensed in the Philippines, their sites are illegal in most jurisdictions in Asia, including Hong Kong and South Korea. Since 2016, Philippine authorities have clamped down on illegal betting operators but there has still been a proliferation in the number of sites in operation, according to officials and executives in the country. Alfredo Lim, president of PAGCOR, the Philippine gaming regulator, said the bureau was collaborating with government agencies to fight illegal gambling. "We lose millions from unlawful gambling," Lim said. In South Korea, police said they would closely monitor illegal sports betting during the World Cup. Hong Kong police said they were conducting a large anti-gambling operation called "Crowbreak" to crack down on illegal gambling activities. Macau, the world's biggest gambling centre, is expected to see revenues squeezed in June due to more Chinese gamblers wagering on the World Cup than in the enclave's glitzy casinos, according to gaming analysts. Police in China broke up a large illegal online gambling ring in April, arresting more than 100 people, the Xinhua news agency reported, while Macau police have broken up illegal betting operations conducted via the popular WeChat app. At the last World Cup in 2014, Interpol said during a six-week operation across China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, law enforcement officers cracked crime gangs estimated to have handled around $2.2 billion worth of bets, mainly through illicit websites.

Authorities across Asia battle illegal gambling surge ahead of World Cup

The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday.

"Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question.

In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Punjab National Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the MEA will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts.

Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short.

The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries.

Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Kumar added India had sent a request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response.

On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem."

'Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place'

The government has left no stone unturned in convincing a UK court that fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya must be extradited to India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. "Extradition hearings have been going on. I understand that the closing submissions in the case have already been made. We now wait for the verdict. I can only assure you that we have left no stone unturned in our efforts to convince the courts that the extradition of Vijay Mallya to India should take place," Kumar told reporters in response to a question. In February 2017, India made a formal request to the UK for extradition of Mallya, who faces charges of financial misconduct amounting to nearly Rs 9,000 crore in debt owed to Indian banks by his defunct Kingfisher Airlines. When asked about the location of fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, who allegedly duped Punjab National Bank to the tune of thousands of crores of rupees, he said the MEA will not be able to provide their location details as it comes into picture only when the agencies concerned inform it about their whereabouts. Responding to a question on whether the issue of the extradition of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia came up for discussion during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad, Kumar said the interaction between the two leaders was very short. The meeting happened on May 31 during Modi's visit enroute Singapore and the talks covered a broad overview about the relationship between the two countries. Modi made a brief stopover in Malaysia to meet the nonagenarian leader, who won polls after trumping Najib Razak, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia. Kumar added India had sent a request to Malaysia to extradite Naik and it was waiting for a response. On the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, Kumar said, " India welcomes the proposed meeting and supports the peaceful resolution to the Korean Peninsula problem."

Govt has left no stone unturned in convincing UK court that Mallya should be extradited: MEA

&nbsp;As countries around Southeast Asia struggle to cope with growing piles of plastic and other waste on land and in their waters, Singapore is one country in the region that appears to have things figured out.

Singapore's streets are glistening clean, its parks and beaches mostly free from the trash that plagues neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Almost all of Singapore's non-recyclable waste is incinerated, with the ash and some solid waste shipped to a man-made island nearby that doubles as a nature reserve.

But that solution looks as if it is running short on time.

The tip on Semakau island was supposed to meet Singapore's dumping needs until as late as 2045, according to environment ministry documents. But with the use of disposable products growing at a rapid rate, the ministry's most recent estimates show that Semakau could be full a decade earlier.

Plastics was the largest category of waste disposed of in Singapore last year - 763,400 tonnes - according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA). Only 6 per cent of the 815,200 of plastic waste generated was recycled.

Analysis of the NEA data by Reuters shows that plastic waste per capita has increased nearly 20 per cent over the last 15 years.

A report by the local Straits Times newspaper in March said each person in Singapore threw away an average of 13 bags a day in 2016.

So far, the government has not adopted any bans or charges on plastic bags or single-use plastic items like straws and plates. It has also not disclosed any plans to replace the Semakau dump.

"More needs to be done to prolong the life of Semakau landfill beyond 2035," the NEA said in an email when asked about plans for the dump.

The agency said that recycling initiatives had helped stabilise the amount of trash sent for incineration, despite increases in waste generation caused by population and economic growth.

Southeast Asia is home to four of the world's top marine plastic polluters, a trend some think will be exacerbated by last year's waste import ban in China, which used to be the world's top destination for recyclable trash.

The recent death of a pilot whale in Thailand with 80 pieces of plastic rubbish in its stomach has also drawn global attention to the problem.

Singapore, which plays host to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, is planning a special ministerial meeting on climate action in July.

But climate groups have urged the government of the wealthy city-state, which enjoys broad support from its electorate, to spend more political capital on tackling waste in a convenience culture where deliveries and take-out meals are common.

Singapore says it aims to become a "zero waste" nation, meaning it will eventually not send any waste to landfill. However, it has yet to set a date for achieving that goal.

The NEA said it was implementing initiatives aimed at increasing recycling rates and reducing waste at the source. These have included increasing the number of recycling bins and awareness campaigns.

It said Singapore was offering research grants for companies and organizations to develop sustainable waste management technologies and planned to make it mandatory for large generators of packaging waste to report the types and quantities they use and their reduction plans by 2021.

The local recycling industry has yet to feel the pinch of China's waste ban, the NEA said, adding that for now, it was still able to find overseas markets for recyclables.

Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore, said the group would like to see Singapore adopt measures like mandatory charges for plastic bags or requiring firms to either pay for or participate in the collection and recycling of plastics.

Singapore's senior minister of state for the environment and water resources, Amy Khor, said in March that unlike other countries with mandatory plastic bag charges, Singapore incinerates plastic waste before putting it in landfills.

"We do not face the land and water pollution issues that plague those countries," she said. She added that plastic bags were "necessary for responsible and hygienic bagging of waste" in Singapore's hot and humid climate.

Neighbouring Malaysia has said it aims to introduce a nationwide ban on plastic bags within a year, while some local authorities in the Philippines already regulate their use.

"There is no rubbish piling up in the streets, so Singaporeans don't perceive a waste problem or feel personally responsible to reduce waste," said Sonny Ben Rosenthal, an academic who specialises in environmental issues at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Plastic waste per capita has increased nearly 20 per cent over the last 15 years

As countries around Southeast Asia struggle to cope with growing piles of plastic and other waste on land and in their waters, Singapore is one country in the region that appears to have things figured out. Singapore's streets are glistening clean, its parks and beaches mostly free from the trash that plagues neighbouring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. Almost all of Singapore's non-recyclable waste is incinerated, with the ash and some solid waste shipped to a man-made island nearby that doubles as a nature reserve. But that solution looks as if it is running short on time. The tip on Semakau island was supposed to meet Singapore's dumping needs until as late as 2045, according to environment ministry documents. But with the use of disposable products growing at a rapid rate, the ministry's most recent estimates show that Semakau could be full a decade earlier. Plastics was the largest category of waste disposed of in Singapore last year - 763,400 tonnes - according to data from the National Environment Agency (NEA). Only 6 per cent of the 815,200 of plastic waste generated was recycled. Analysis of the NEA data by Reuters shows that plastic waste per capita has increased nearly 20 per cent over the last 15 years. A report by the local Straits Times newspaper in March said each person in Singapore threw away an average of 13 bags a day in 2016. So far, the government has not adopted any bans or charges on plastic bags or single-use plastic items like straws and plates. It has also not disclosed any plans to replace the Semakau dump. "More needs to be done to prolong the life of Semakau landfill beyond 2035," the NEA said in an email when asked about plans for the dump. The agency said that recycling initiatives had helped stabilise the amount of trash sent for incineration, despite increases in waste generation caused by population and economic growth. Southeast Asia is home to four of the world's top marine plastic polluters, a trend some think will be exacerbated by last year's waste import ban in China, which used to be the world's top destination for recyclable trash. The recent death of a pilot whale in Thailand with 80 pieces of plastic rubbish in its stomach has also drawn global attention to the problem. Singapore, which plays host to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, is planning a special ministerial meeting on climate action in July. But climate groups have urged the government of the wealthy city-state, which enjoys broad support from its electorate, to spend more political capital on tackling waste in a convenience culture where deliveries and take-out meals are common. Singapore says it aims to become a "zero waste" nation, meaning it will eventually not send any waste to landfill. However, it has yet to set a date for achieving that goal. The NEA said it was implementing initiatives aimed at increasing recycling rates and reducing waste at the source. These have included increasing the number of recycling bins and awareness campaigns. It said Singapore was offering research grants for companies and organizations to develop sustainable waste management technologies and planned to make it mandatory for large generators of packaging waste to report the types and quantities they use and their reduction plans by 2021. The local recycling industry has yet to feel the pinch of China's waste ban, the NEA said, adding that for now, it was still able to find overseas markets for recyclables. Kim Stengert, chief communications officer for WWF Singapore, said the group would like to see Singapore adopt measures like mandatory charges for plastic bags or requiring firms to either pay for or participate in the collection and recycling of plastics. Singapore's senior minister of state for the environment and water resources, Amy Khor, said in March that unlike other countries with mandatory plastic bag charges, Singapore incinerates plastic waste before putting it in landfills. "We do not face the land and water pollution issues that plague those countries," she said. She added that plastic bags were "necessary for responsible and hygienic bagging of waste" in Singapore's hot and humid climate. Neighbouring Malaysia has said it aims to introduce a nationwide ban on plastic bags within a year, while some local authorities in the Philippines already regulate their use. "There is no rubbish piling up in the streets, so Singaporeans don't perceive a waste problem or feel personally responsible to reduce waste," said Sonny Ben Rosenthal, an academic who specialises in environmental issues at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

In Singapore, where trash becomes ash, plastics are still a problem

Six Malaysia batswomen fell for duck as India bundled them out for just 27 to register a resounding 142-run victory in their opening Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup match on Sunday.

Electing to bat, India scored 169 for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs, riding on senior player Mithali Raj's unbeaten 97 off 69 balls, and then shot the home side out in just 13.4 overs in a completely lop-sided match at Kinrara Academy Oval here.

Pooja Vastrakar grabbed three wickets for just six runs with her medium pace while the spin duo of Anuja Patil and Poonam Yadav, who did not concede any run, took to wickets apiece as the Indian bowlers ran riot over the clueless Malaysians.

Only five Malaysian batswomen opened their account and none could manage to make a score in double-figures. Sasha Azmi top-scored with nine runs from 10 balls.&nbsp;

Malaysia lost half of their side within five overs, reducing to 12 for 5. Captain Winifred Duraisingam (5 off 21 balls) and Zumika Azmi (4 off 15 balls) stayed at the crease for long with any substantial contribution as India completed a massive victory.

Earlier, India did not have the best of starts as they were 35 for 2 just after the Powerplay overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then gave the impetus to the Indian innings with her 23-ball 32.

But the day belonged to senior player Mithali, who batted through the 20 overs with a strike rate of 140.57. She hit 13 fours and a six in her 69-ball unbeaten knock.&nbsp;

She, however, could not find the boundary in the last two overs when she was eight away from a century.&nbsp;

Mithali's 86-run stand with Harmanpreet came off just 53 balls and she closed the innings off with Deepti Sharma (18 not out).&nbsp;

Brief Scores:

India Women: 169 for 3 in 20 overs (Mithali Raj 97 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 32).

Malaysia Women: 27 all out in 13.4 overs (Sasha Azmi 9 Pooja Vastrakar 3/6, Poonam Yadav 2/0).

Electing to bat, India scored 169 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs

Six Malaysia batswomen fell for duck as India bundled them out for just 27 to register a resounding 142-run victory in their opening Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup match on Sunday. Electing to bat, India scored 169 for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs, riding on senior player Mithali Raj's unbeaten 97 off 69 balls, and then shot the home side out in just 13.4 overs in a completely lop-sided match at Kinrara Academy Oval here. Pooja Vastrakar grabbed three wickets for just six runs with her medium pace while the spin duo of Anuja Patil and Poonam Yadav, who did not concede any run, took to wickets apiece as the Indian bowlers ran riot over the clueless Malaysians. Only five Malaysian batswomen opened their account and none could manage to make a score in double-figures. Sasha Azmi top-scored with nine runs from 10 balls. Malaysia lost half of their side within five overs, reducing to 12 for 5. Captain Winifred Duraisingam (5 off 21 balls) and Zumika Azmi (4 off 15 balls) stayed at the crease for long with any substantial contribution as India completed a massive victory. Earlier, India did not have the best of starts as they were 35 for 2 just after the Powerplay overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur then gave the impetus to the Indian innings with her 23-ball 32. But the day belonged to senior player Mithali, who batted through the 20 overs with a strike rate of 140.57. She hit 13 fours and a six in her 69-ball unbeaten knock. She, however, could not find the boundary in the last two overs when she was eight away from a century. Mithali's 86-run stand with Harmanpreet came off just 53 balls and she closed the innings off with Deepti Sharma (18 not out). Brief Scores: India Women: 169 for 3 in 20 overs (Mithali Raj 97 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 32). Malaysia Women: 27 all out in 13.4 overs (Sasha Azmi 9 Pooja Vastrakar 3/6, Poonam Yadav 2/0).

Women's Asia Cup: India bundle out Malaysia for 27 in 142-run win

India’s largest travelling film festival - Jagran Film Festival, which is in its 9th&nbsp;edition this year,&nbsp;has received movie entries across 116 countries.

The festival has received a total of 3,080 movie entries so far, wherein 967 are from India, 249 from Iran, 243 from the United States, 123 from Spain, 118 from Brazil, 118 from France and 107 from Turkey.&nbsp;

Besides these countries, other participating countries include - Pakistan, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Poland, Malaysia and many more.

Scheduled to be inaugurated in New Delhi from&nbsp;June 29th, 2018, the festival invites film entries from filmmakers across several categories.&nbsp;

All the films in the competition sections would be previewed by the pre-selection panels comprising of filmmakers and film critics.&nbsp;

This panel includes names like Shivani Pandey, Sujata Shiven, Vinod Kapoor, Manjula Shirodkar, Sanjay Dattani and Sharad Dutt.

The festival will begin in New Delhi in June this year and will continue to tour in Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hissar, Meerut, Raipur before concluding in Mumbai in&nbsp;September 2018.

9th edition Jagran Film Festival has incessantly carried the ‘Cinematic Culture’ from metro cities to smaller cities thereby spreading and promoting the appreciation of the cinematic art at the grass root level.&nbsp;

<img alt="ko.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/ko.jpg" width="770" />

<img alt="Untitled design_4.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Untitled%20design_4.jpg" width="770" />

<img alt="ju_0.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/ju_0.jpg" width="770" />

The festival has already received a total of 3,080 movie entries from around the world

India’s largest travelling film festival - Jagran Film Festival, which is in its 9th edition this year, has received movie entries across 116 countries. The festival has received a total of 3,080 movie entries so far, wherein 967 are from India, 249 from Iran, 243 from the United States, 123 from Spain, 118 from Brazil, 118 from France and 107 from Turkey. Besides these countries, other participating countries include - Pakistan, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Belgium, Poland, Malaysia and many more. Scheduled to be inaugurated in New Delhi from June 29th, 2018, the festival invites film entries from filmmakers across several categories. All the films in the competition sections would be previewed by the pre-selection panels comprising of filmmakers and film critics. This panel includes names like Shivani Pandey, Sujata Shiven, Vinod Kapoor, Manjula Shirodkar, Sanjay Dattani and Sharad Dutt. The festival will begin in New Delhi in June this year and will continue to tour in Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Gorakhpur, Agra, Ludhiana, Hissar, Meerut, Raipur before concluding in Mumbai in September 2018. 9th edition Jagran Film Festival has incessantly carried the ‘Cinematic Culture’ from metro cities to smaller cities thereby spreading and promoting the appreciation of the cinematic art at the grass root level.

India’s largest travelling film festival, Jagran to kickstart in June this year

Newly-elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Mahathir is adopting policies that could reshape the Southeast Asian nation’s relations with powerful Gulf states.

A series of anti-corruption measures as well as statements by Mahathir and his defence minister, Mohamad (Mat) Sabu, since this month’s upset in elections that ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak from office, are sparking concern in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Mahathir, who has cautioned in recent years against widespread anti-Shiite sectarianism in Malaysia, has questioned together with Sabu Malaysia’s counterterrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

Mahathir has also reinvigorated anti-corruption investigations of Razak, whom Qatari media have described as “Saudi-backed.”

Razak is suspected of having syphoned off billions of dollars from state-owned strategic development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The fund as well as Saudi and UAE entities allegedly connected to the affair are under investigation in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore.

Apparently anticipating a possible change in relations, political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, whose views are often seen as reflecting UAE government thinking, disparaged Mr. Mahathir and the Malaysian vote days after the results were announced.

Abdulla focused on Mahathir’s age. At 92, Mahathir is the world’s oldest-elected leader.

Abdulla also harped on the fact that Mahathir had been Razak’s mentor before defecting to the opposition and forging an alliance with Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir’s former deputy prime minister and an Islamist believed to be close to the Muslim Brotherhood, whom he helped put behind bars.

UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed is known for his intense opposition to political Islam, including the Brotherhood.

“Malaysia seems to lack wise men, leaders, statesmen and youth to elect a 92-year-old who suddenly turned against his own party and his own allies and made a suspicious deal with his own political opponent whom he previously imprisoned after fabricating the most heinous of charges against him. This is politics as a curse and democracy as wrath,” Abdulla said on Twitter, two days after the election.

Similarly, Malaysian officials have signalled changing attitudes towards the Gulf. Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull, Mahathir’s newly appointed anti-corruption czar, who resigned from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2016 as a result of pressure to drop plans to indict Razak, noted that “we have had difficulties dealing with Arab countries (such as) Qatar, Saudi Arabia, (and the) UAE.”

Those difficulties are likely to recur.

Sabu, the new defence minister, noted in a commentary late last year that Saudi (and UAE) wrath was directed “oddly, (at) Turkey, Qatar, and Iran…three countries that have undertaken some modicum of political and economic reforms. Instead of encouraging all sides to work together, Saudi Arabia has gone on an offensive in Yemen, too. Therein the danger posed to Malaysia: if Malaysia is too close to Saudi Arabia, Putrajaya would be asked to choose a side.”

Putrajaya, a city south of Kuala Lumpur, is home to the prime minister’s residence and a bridge with four minaret-type piers that is inspired by Iranian architecture.

Sabu went on to say that “Malaysia should not be too close to a country whose internal politics are getting toxic… For the lack of a better word, Saudi Arabia is a cesspool of constant rivalry among the princes. By this token, it is also a vortex that could suck any country into its black hole if one is not careful. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is governed by hyper-orthodox Salafi or Wahhabi ideology, where Islam is taken in a literal form. Yet true Islam requires understanding Islam, not merely in its Quranic form, but Quranic spirit.”

Since coming to office, Sabu has said that he was reviewing plans for a Saudi-funded anti-terrorism centre, the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), which was allocated 16 hectares of land in Putrajaya by the Razak government. Sabu was echoing statements by Mahathir before the election.

The opening of the centre was twice postponed because Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cancelled his planned attendance. Malaysian officials said the kingdom had yet to contribute promised funds for the centre.

Shahriman Lockman, an analyst with the Kuala Lumpur-based Institute of Strategic and International Studies cautioned that Malaysia would have manoeuvre carefully.

“Whether we like it or not, whatever we think of them, Saudi Arabia is a major player in the Muslim world and in the Middle East. Their administration of the haj makes it crucial for Muslim-majority countries to get along with them,” Lockman said.

The fact that Mahathir’s election has sparked hopes that he will move Malaysia away from Razak’s embrace of Saudi-inspired ultra-conservative Islam as a political tool, despite the prime minister’s history of prejudice towards Jews and past anti-Shiite record, is likely to reinforce Saudi and UAE concern that his moves could favour Iran.

Mahathir has vacillated in his statements between banning Shiism to avert sectarianism and calling on Sunni Muslims in Malaysia to accept the country’s miniscule Shiite minority as a way of avoiding domestic strife.

What is likely to concern the Saudis most is the fact that Mahathir has said that accepting Shiites as fellow Muslims was necessary because of the growth of the Iranian expatriate community in Malaysia. Analysts say the presence has sparked a greater awareness of Shiism and Sunni animosity because of Razak’s divisive policies.

Saudi and UAE worries about the reinvigorated anti-corruption investigation are rooted in the potential implication in the scandal of a Saudi commercial company, members of the Saudi ruling family, and UAE state-owned entities and officials.

The investigation is likely to revisit 1MDB relationship’s with Saudi energy company PetroSaudi International Ltd, owned by Saudi businessman Tarek Essam Ahmad Obaid as well as prominent members of the kingdom’s ruling family who allegedly funded Razak.

It will not have been lost on Saudi Arabia and the UAE that Mahathir met with former PetroSaudi executive and whistle-blower Xavier Andre Justo less than two weeks after his election victory.

A three-part BBC documentary, The House of Saud: A Family at War, suggested that Razak had worked with Prince Turki bin Abdullah, the son of former Saudi King Abdullah, to syphon off funds from 1MDB.

UAE-owned, Swiss-based Falcon Bank has also been linked to the scandal while leaked emails documented a close relationship between Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s high-profile ambassador to the United States and confidante of Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, and controversial Malaysian financier Jho Low, a 27-year-old Wharton graduate who helped Razak run 1MDB.

The Wall Street Journal, citing not only emails, but also US court and investigative documents, reported last year that companies connected to Otaiba had received $66 million from entities investigators say acted as conduits for money allegedly stolen from 1MDB.

The UAE embassy in Washington declined to comment at the time but admitted that Oteiba had private business interests unrelated to his diplomatic role. The embassy charged that the leaked emails were part of an effort to tarnish his reputation.

Bank statements and financial documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal suggest that Khadem al Qubaisi, a director of an Abu Dhabi-owned investment company, who has also been implicated in the scandal, facilitated the purchase by UAE deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s brother of a $500 million yacht with 1MDB funds.

“The impact of this election will reverberate far beyond Malaysia's borders,” said Asia director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue Michael Vatikiotis.

Vatikiotis was looking primarily at the fallout of Mahathir’s victory in Southeast Asia and China. His analysis is however equally valid for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where it could also prove to be embarrassing.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed is known for his intense opposition to political Islam, including the Brotherhood.

Newly-elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Mahathir is adopting policies that could reshape the Southeast Asian nation’s relations with powerful Gulf states. A series of anti-corruption measures as well as statements by Mahathir and his defence minister, Mohamad (Mat) Sabu, since this month’s upset in elections that ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak from office, are sparking concern in both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Mahathir, who has cautioned in recent years against widespread anti-Shiite sectarianism in Malaysia, has questioned together with Sabu Malaysia’s counterterrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia. Mahathir has also reinvigorated anti-corruption investigations of Razak, whom Qatari media have described as “Saudi-backed.” Razak is suspected of having syphoned off billions of dollars from state-owned strategic development fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The fund as well as Saudi and UAE entities allegedly connected to the affair are under investigation in at least six countries, including the United States, Switzerland and Singapore. Apparently anticipating a possible change in relations, political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, whose views are often seen as reflecting UAE government thinking, disparaged Mr. Mahathir and the Malaysian vote days after the results were announced. Abdulla focused on Mahathir’s age. At 92, Mahathir is the world’s oldest-elected leader. Abdulla also harped on the fact that Mahathir had been Razak’s mentor before defecting to the opposition and forging an alliance with Anwar Ibrahim, Mahathir’s former deputy prime minister and an Islamist believed to be close to the Muslim Brotherhood, whom he helped put behind bars. UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed is known for his intense opposition to political Islam, including the Brotherhood. “Malaysia seems to lack wise men, leaders, statesmen and youth to elect a 92-year-old who suddenly turned against his own party and his own allies and made a suspicious deal with his own political opponent whom he previously imprisoned after fabricating the most heinous of charges against him. This is politics as a curse and democracy as wrath,” Abdulla said on Twitter, two days after the election. Similarly, Malaysian officials have signalled changing attitudes towards the Gulf. Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull, Mahathir’s newly appointed anti-corruption czar, who resigned from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in 2016 as a result of pressure to drop plans to indict Razak, noted that “we have had difficulties dealing with Arab countries (such as) Qatar, Saudi Arabia, (and the) UAE.” Those difficulties are likely to recur. Sabu, the new defence minister, noted in a commentary late last year that Saudi (and UAE) wrath was directed “oddly, (at) Turkey, Qatar, and Iran…three countries that have undertaken some modicum of political and economic reforms. Instead of encouraging all sides to work together, Saudi Arabia has gone on an offensive in Yemen, too. Therein the danger posed to Malaysia: if Malaysia is too close to Saudi Arabia, Putrajaya would be asked to choose a side.” Putrajaya, a city south of Kuala Lumpur, is home to the prime minister’s residence and a bridge with four minaret-type piers that is inspired by Iranian architecture. Sabu went on to say that “Malaysia should not be too close to a country whose internal politics are getting toxic… For the lack of a better word, Saudi Arabia is a cesspool of constant rivalry among the princes. By this token, it is also a vortex that could suck any country into its black hole if one is not careful. Indeed, Saudi Arabia is governed by hyper-orthodox Salafi or Wahhabi ideology, where Islam is taken in a literal form. Yet true Islam requires understanding Islam, not merely in its Quranic form, but Quranic spirit.” Since coming to office, Sabu has said that he was reviewing plans for a Saudi-funded anti-terrorism centre, the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), which was allocated 16 hectares of land in Putrajaya by the Razak government. Sabu was echoing statements by Mahathir before the election. The opening of the centre was twice postponed because Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman cancelled his planned attendance. Malaysian officials said the kingdom had yet to contribute promised funds for the centre. Shahriman Lockman, an analyst with the Kuala Lumpur-based Institute of Strategic and International Studies cautioned that Malaysia would have manoeuvre carefully. “Whether we like it or not, whatever we think of them, Saudi Arabia is a major player in the Muslim world and in the Middle East. Their administration of the haj makes it crucial for Muslim-majority countries to get along with them,” Lockman said. The fact that Mahathir’s election has sparked hopes that he will move Malaysia away from Razak’s embrace of Saudi-inspired ultra-conservative Islam as a political tool, despite the prime minister’s history of prejudice towards Jews and past anti-Shiite record, is likely to reinforce Saudi and UAE concern that his moves could favour Iran. Mahathir has vacillated in his statements between banning Shiism to avert sectarianism and calling on Sunni Muslims in Malaysia to accept the country’s miniscule Shiite minority as a way of avoiding domestic strife. What is likely to concern the Saudis most is the fact that Mahathir has said that accepting Shiites as fellow Muslims was necessary because of the growth of the Iranian expatriate community in Malaysia. Analysts say the presence has sparked a greater awareness of Shiism and Sunni animosity because of Razak’s divisive policies. Saudi and UAE worries about the reinvigorated anti-corruption investigation are rooted in the potential implication in the scandal of a Saudi commercial company, members of the Saudi ruling family, and UAE state-owned entities and officials. The investigation is likely to revisit 1MDB relationship’s with Saudi energy company PetroSaudi International Ltd, owned by Saudi businessman Tarek Essam Ahmad Obaid as well as prominent members of the kingdom’s ruling family who allegedly funded Razak. It will not have been lost on Saudi Arabia and the UAE that Mahathir met with former PetroSaudi executive and whistle-blower Xavier Andre Justo less than two weeks after his election victory. A three-part BBC documentary, The House of Saud: A Family at War, suggested that Razak had worked with Prince Turki bin Abdullah, the son of former Saudi King Abdullah, to syphon off funds from 1MDB. UAE-owned, Swiss-based Falcon Bank has also been linked to the scandal while leaked emails documented a close relationship between Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE’s high-profile ambassador to the United States and confidante of Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, and controversial Malaysian financier Jho Low, a 27-year-old Wharton graduate who helped Razak run 1MDB. The Wall Street Journal, citing not only emails, but also US court and investigative documents, reported last year that companies connected to Otaiba had received $66 million from entities investigators say acted as conduits for money allegedly stolen from 1MDB. The UAE embassy in Washington declined to comment at the time but admitted that Oteiba had private business interests unrelated to his diplomatic role. The embassy charged that the leaked emails were part of an effort to tarnish his reputation. Bank statements and financial documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal suggest that Khadem al Qubaisi, a director of an Abu Dhabi-owned investment company, who has also been implicated in the scandal, facilitated the purchase by UAE deputy prime minister Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s brother of a $500 million yacht with 1MDB funds. “The impact of this election will reverberate far beyond Malaysia's borders,” said Asia director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue Michael Vatikiotis. Vatikiotis was looking primarily at the fallout of Mahathir’s victory in Southeast Asia and China. His analysis is however equally valid for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where it could also prove to be embarrassing. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Mahathir's reforms could put Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the spot

Malaysia has set up a fund for members of the public to donate cash to help the new government repay its hefty national debt, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, providing a bank account number for deposits.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has made it a priority to cut Malaysia’s debts and liabilities - estimated at 1 trillion ringgit ($250.8 billion) or 80 per cent of GDP - since he mounted a surprise win over scandal-plagued Najib Razak in a May 9 general election.

The move comes after a private fundraising initiative ‘Please Help Malaysia!’ received more than $3,500 of donations on website GoGetFunding in a campaign to help the Southeast Asian country reduce debt.

“Due to the recent economic development and the growing concern among the rakyat (people) on the country’s current debt position, there are signs of awareness from the rakyat to lend their support to the government,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

“The rakyat voluntarily want to share their earnings with the government to help ease the burden.”

The ministry said the fund would be called Malaysia Hope Fund and provided the name of a local bank and an account number for contributions which it said must be made in cash denominated in the local currency.

While Mahathir’s government has made it a priority to get a handle on debts - pledging to review mega projects, axe some government agencies and cut ministers’ salaries - it is also withdrawing a goods and services tax this week which will hurt government revenues.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has made it a priority to cut Malaysia’s debts and liabilities - estimated at 1 trillion ringgit ($250.8 billion) or 80 per cent of GDP - since he mounted a surprise win over scandal-plagued Najib Razak in a May 9 general election

Malaysia has set up a fund for members of the public to donate cash to help the new government repay its hefty national debt, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, providing a bank account number for deposits. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has made it a priority to cut Malaysia’s debts and liabilities - estimated at 1 trillion ringgit ($250.8 billion) or 80 per cent of GDP - since he mounted a surprise win over scandal-plagued Najib Razak in a May 9 general election. The move comes after a private fundraising initiative ‘Please Help Malaysia!’ received more than $3,500 of donations on website GoGetFunding in a campaign to help the Southeast Asian country reduce debt. “Due to the recent economic development and the growing concern among the rakyat (people) on the country’s current debt position, there are signs of awareness from the rakyat to lend their support to the government,” the finance ministry said in a statement. “The rakyat voluntarily want to share their earnings with the government to help ease the burden.” The ministry said the fund would be called Malaysia Hope Fund and provided the name of a local bank and an account number for contributions which it said must be made in cash denominated in the local currency. While Mahathir’s government has made it a priority to get a handle on debts - pledging to review mega projects, axe some government agencies and cut ministers’ salaries - it is also withdrawing a goods and services tax this week which will hurt government revenues.

To repay hefty national debt, Malaysia tries crowdfunding

Prime Minister Modi left for Singapore today after meeting Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur.

In a whirlwind visit to the Malaysian capital, PM Modi met Malaysia's PM and deputy prime minister and left for Singapore soon after. 
&nbsp

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PM Modi will be delivering a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore amid other high profile engagements.

PM Modi will be delivering a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore amid other high profile engagements.

Prime Minister Modi left for Singapore today after meeting Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and deputy prime minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur. In a whirlwind visit to the Malaysian capital, PM Modi met Malaysia's PM and deputy prime minister and left for Singapore soon after. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Malaysia's deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, pic.twitter.com/lccifg29m7 — ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018 × PM Modi will be delivering a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore amid other high profile engagements.

PM Modi meets Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad & deputy PM; leaves for Singapore

Malaysia is cancelling a project to build a high-speed rail link between its capital, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, and will talk with its southern neighbour about any compensation Malaysia has to pay, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday.

Mahathir, the 92-year-old who triumphed in a general election this month, has made it a priority to cut the national debt and pledged to review big projects agreed by his predecessor that he says are expensive and have no financial benefit.

"It is a final decision, but it will take time because we have an agreement with Singapore," Mahathir told a news conference referring to his scrapping of the project, valued by analysts at about $17 billion.

The project is out for tender and was scheduled to be completed by 2026.

Mahathir said Malaysia may have to pay about 500 million ringgit ($125.63 million) to Singapore to get out of the deal.

Singapore's government did not immediately have any comment on Mahathir's vow to scrap the project.

Companies from China, Japan, South Korea and Europe were eyeing a contract to build, operate and finance the trains and the rail assets, sources close to the bidding process had told Reuters.

Even picking a winner was expected to test ties between Malaysia and Singapore, which have been frosty since the end of the colonial era in the 1960s, against the backdrop of broader tension over China's growing influence in the region.

About 90 percent of the rail network was set to be in Malaysia, including a terminal in Bandar Malaysia, a big property development owned by scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

A $1.7 billion deal to sell a majority stake in Bandar Malaysia to a Malaysian-Chinese consortium fell through in May 2017. A year on, the project has failed to attract any buyers.

Mahathir has reopened an investigation into 1MDB following his election victory. It is being investigated in other countries, including the United States.

Properties linked to former prime minister Najib Razak have been searched as part of the investigation, and Najib has given statements to an anti-graft agency.

Najib has long denied any wrongdoing.

Mahathir said his government was also in the process of renegotiating with Chinese partners over the terms of a $14 billion rail deal aimed at connecting the South China Sea at the Thai border in the east with the strategic shipping routes of the Straits of Malacca in the west.

He estimates that Malaysia could cut almost a fifth of its $250 billion national debt and liabilities by scrapping such big projects.

Mahathir, the 92-year-old who triumphed in a general election this month, has made it a priority to cut the national debt and pledged to review big projects agreed by his predecessor that he says are expensive and have no financial benefit

Malaysia is cancelling a project to build a high-speed rail link between its capital, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore, and will talk with its southern neighbour about any compensation Malaysia has to pay, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday. Mahathir, the 92-year-old who triumphed in a general election this month, has made it a priority to cut the national debt and pledged to review big projects agreed by his predecessor that he says are expensive and have no financial benefit. "It is a final decision, but it will take time because we have an agreement with Singapore," Mahathir told a news conference referring to his scrapping of the project, valued by analysts at about $17 billion. The project is out for tender and was scheduled to be completed by 2026. Mahathir said Malaysia may have to pay about 500 million ringgit ($125.63 million) to Singapore to get out of the deal. Singapore's government did not immediately have any comment on Mahathir's vow to scrap the project. Companies from China, Japan, South Korea and Europe were eyeing a contract to build, operate and finance the trains and the rail assets, sources close to the bidding process had told Reuters. Even picking a winner was expected to test ties between Malaysia and Singapore, which have been frosty since the end of the colonial era in the 1960s, against the backdrop of broader tension over China's growing influence in the region. About 90 percent of the rail network was set to be in Malaysia, including a terminal in Bandar Malaysia, a big property development owned by scandal-hit state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). A $1.7 billion deal to sell a majority stake in Bandar Malaysia to a Malaysian-Chinese consortium fell through in May 2017. A year on, the project has failed to attract any buyers. Mahathir has reopened an investigation into 1MDB following his election victory. It is being investigated in other countries, including the United States. Properties linked to former prime minister Najib Razak have been searched as part of the investigation, and Najib has given statements to an anti-graft agency. Najib has long denied any wrongdoing. Mahathir said his government was also in the process of renegotiating with Chinese partners over the terms of a $14 billion rail deal aimed at connecting the South China Sea at the Thai border in the east with the strategic shipping routes of the Straits of Malacca in the west. He estimates that Malaysia could cut almost a fifth of its $250 billion national debt and liabilities by scrapping such big projects.

Malaysia axes project to build high-speed rail link with Singapore

Malaysia&nbsp;has made its largest ever seizure of crystal methamphetamine, officials said on Monday, finding nearly 1.2 tonnes of the drug disguised as tea in a shipment from Myanmar, and arrested six suspected traffickers.

The bust comes as Southeast Asia reports a flood of the stimulant throughout the region.

Indonesia and Thailand have also made record seizures of the drug this year.

A total of 1,187 kg of the drug, worth 71 million ringgit ($18 million), was shipped in a container from Yangon, Myanmar, to Port Klang, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Customs Director-General Subromaniam Tholasy told reporters.

"This is the biggest seizure seen in our history in terms of value and weight," he said.

Crystal methamphetamine is a form of methamphetamine, a highly addictive synthetic drug also known as speed, shabu and yaba.

The shipment, seized on May 22, had been declared "foodstuff" and was bound for a&nbsp;Malaysian trading company based in a Kuala Lumpur suburb, Subromaniam said.

Customs officials displayed the shipment, packed in golden yellow tea packets, at its narcotics operations headquarters in Nilai, near Kuala Lumpur.

Three Myanmar nationals and three&nbsp;Malaysians were arrested during the operation.

"We are still investigating, but we believe the syndicate involved has links with syndicates in Myanmar," Subromaniam said, adding that officials also seized a small amount of heroin and about 1 million contraband cigarettes.

The methamphetamine market has expanded at an alarming rate in Asia, with experts in several countries in the region reporting an increase in its use in 2015.

Methamphetamine represents the greatest global health threat, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime&nbsp;said in a 2017 World Drug report said.

Myanmar has for decades been a producer of opium and its refined form, heroin, and has become the source of most of Southeast Asia's methamphetamine, which is mostly produced in lawless border regions outside the government's control.

A total of 1,187 kg of the drug, worth 71 million ringgit ($18 million), was shipped in a container from Yangon, Myanmar, to Port Klang

Malaysia has made its largest ever seizure of crystal methamphetamine, officials said on Monday, finding nearly 1.2 tonnes of the drug disguised as tea in a shipment from Myanmar, and arrested six suspected traffickers. The bust comes as Southeast Asia reports a flood of the stimulant throughout the region. Indonesia and Thailand have also made record seizures of the drug this year. A total of 1,187 kg of the drug, worth 71 million ringgit ($18 million), was shipped in a container from Yangon, Myanmar, to Port Klang, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Customs Director-General Subromaniam Tholasy told reporters. "This is the biggest seizure seen in our history in terms of value and weight," he said. Crystal methamphetamine is a form of methamphetamine, a highly addictive synthetic drug also known as speed, shabu and yaba. The shipment, seized on May 22, had been declared "foodstuff" and was bound for a Malaysian trading company based in a Kuala Lumpur suburb, Subromaniam said. Customs officials displayed the shipment, packed in golden yellow tea packets, at its narcotics operations headquarters in Nilai, near Kuala Lumpur. Three Myanmar nationals and three Malaysians were arrested during the operation. "We are still investigating, but we believe the syndicate involved has links with syndicates in Myanmar," Subromaniam said, adding that officials also seized a small amount of heroin and about 1 million contraband cigarettes. The methamphetamine market has expanded at an alarming rate in Asia, with experts in several countries in the region reporting an increase in its use in 2015. Methamphetamine represents the greatest global health threat, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in a 2017 World Drug report said. Myanmar has for decades been a producer of opium and its refined form, heroin, and has become the source of most of Southeast Asia's methamphetamine, which is mostly produced in lawless border regions outside the government's control.

Malaysians make record bust of crystal meth, shipped from Myanmar

The United States today "disinvited" China from participating in annual maritime exercises in the Pacific due to "continued militarization of the South China Sea," the Pentagon said.

The US has been couducting drills in the South China Sea even as China has been conducting military drills in the area and taking part in defence excercise in the Taiwan Straits.&nbsp

"China's continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serve to raise tensions and destabilize the region," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Logan said.

Last week, China reportedly landed several aircrafts at an airfield in the South China Sea area prompting the US to declare that China was engaging in "continued militarisation of disputed features in the South China Sea".

China denied the US claim of "militarising". The area around the South China Sea is rich in oil and natural gas with several islands being claimed by Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia even as China has upped the ante with military drills.&nbsp

"We have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise. China's behavior is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exercise."

China has built several artificial islands in the disputed area fueling further tensions between countries who have accused it of playing brinkmanship.

China has built several artificial islands in the disputed area fueling further tensions between countries who have accused it of playing brinkmanship.

The United States today "disinvited" China from participating in annual maritime exercises in the Pacific due to "continued militarization of the South China Sea," the Pentagon said. The US has been couducting drills in the South China Sea even as China has been conducting military drills in the area and taking part in defence excercise in the Taiwan Straits. "China's continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea only serve to raise tensions and destabilize the region," Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Chris Logan said. Last week, China reportedly landed several aircrafts at an airfield in the South China Sea area prompting the US to declare that China was engaging in "continued militarisation of disputed features in the South China Sea". China denied the US claim of "militarising". The area around the South China Sea is rich in oil and natural gas with several islands being claimed by Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia even as China has upped the ante with military drills. "We have disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise. China's behavior is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exercise." China has built several artificial islands in the disputed area fueling further tensions between countries who have accused it of playing brinkmanship.

US 'disinvites' China from maritime exercise in the Pacific over South China Sea dispute

Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja has said that medicine to treat the Nipah virus outbreak will be flown in from Malaysia.&nbsp;

The government is trying to bring in a medicine called Riba which has been used before in Malaysia and can reportedly, to some extent, control the virus.&nbsp;

Nipah is a zoonosis, or a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals.

The virus has so far killed 11 people in Kerala.&nbsp;

One of them was the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kerala-offers-government-job-to-husband-of-nurse-who-died-from-nipah-virus-139133">nurse</a> who had been looking after people who had contracted Nipah.&nbsp;

The government is trying to bring in a medicine called Riba which has been used before in Malaysia and can, to some extent, control the virus

Kerala Health Minister KK Shylaja has said that medicine to treat the Nipah virus outbreak will be flown in from Malaysia. The government is trying to bring in a medicine called Riba which has been used before in Malaysia and can reportedly, to some extent, control the virus. Nipah is a zoonosis, or a disease which can be transmitted to humans from animals. The virus has so far killed 11 people in Kerala. One of them was the nurse who had been looking after people who had contracted Nipah.

Nipah virus: Medicine to be flown in from Malaysia, says Kerala Health Minister

Scandal-tainted former Malaysian leader Najib Razak arrived Tuesday at the anti-corruption agency for questioning over a massive financial scandal that helped to bring down his long-ruling regime.

Najib's coalition suffered a shock defeat at the May 9 poll, beaten by a reformist alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad, which broke their six-decade stranglehold on power.

Mahathir, who first served as premier from 1981-2003 and came out of retirement aged 92 to take on Najib, and his allies focused on claims that the former leader and his cronies looted sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.&nbsp;

Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund in a sophisticated fraud, and used to buy everything from artworks to high-end real estate.

Najib and his reviled, luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor have had a swift fall from grace. They have been barred from leaving the country, and police have seized handbags, jewels and cash during raids on properties linked to the couple.

The ousted leader arrived at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, walking through a scrum of about 100 journalists.

Najib was summoned by the MACC to give a statement over claims surrounding SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, and forms just one part of the wide-ranging probe into the scandal.

SRC was placed under the finance ministry in 2012 -- Najib was finance minister as well as premier at the time.&nbsp;

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) originating from SRC was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts.&nbsp;

Hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB allegedly ended up there.

Najib and 1MDB have denied any wrongdoing. A domestic investigation launched during his premiership concluded that the money in his accounts was a donation from the Saudi royal family.

Abdul Razak Idris, a former senior officer with the anti-graft agency who last week lodged reports against Najib, praised the body for quickly hauling in Najib.

"If we delay, a lot of evidence can be lost or tampered with," he told AFP.&nbsp;

As reports proliferated in recent years that billions were looted from 1MDB, Najib's government shut down domestic inquiries into the scandal, arrested critics calling for a full investigations and muzzled news organisations reporting on the affair.

Mahathir has vowed to fully investigate the financial scandal. On Monday the new government set up a task force headed by high-ranking current and senior officials to probe the controversy.

&nbsp;

Najib's coalition suffered a shock defeat at the May 9 poll, beaten by a reformist alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad

Scandal-tainted former Malaysian leader Najib Razak arrived Tuesday at the anti-corruption agency for questioning over a massive financial scandal that helped to bring down his long-ruling regime. Najib's coalition suffered a shock defeat at the May 9 poll, beaten by a reformist alliance led by Mahathir Mohamad, which broke their six-decade stranglehold on power. Mahathir, who first served as premier from 1981-2003 and came out of retirement aged 92 to take on Najib, and his allies focused on claims that the former leader and his cronies looted sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the fund in a sophisticated fraud, and used to buy everything from artworks to high-end real estate. Najib and his reviled, luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor have had a swift fall from grace. They have been barred from leaving the country, and police have seized handbags, jewels and cash during raids on properties linked to the couple. The ousted leader arrived at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in the administrative capital of Putrajaya, walking through a scrum of about 100 journalists. Najib was summoned by the MACC to give a statement over claims surrounding SRC International, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, and forms just one part of the wide-ranging probe into the scandal. SRC was placed under the finance ministry in 2012 -- Najib was finance minister as well as premier at the time. According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, 42 million ringgit ($10.6 million) originating from SRC was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts. Hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB allegedly ended up there. Najib and 1MDB have denied any wrongdoing. A domestic investigation launched during his premiership concluded that the money in his accounts was a donation from the Saudi royal family. Abdul Razak Idris, a former senior officer with the anti-graft agency who last week lodged reports against Najib, praised the body for quickly hauling in Najib. "If we delay, a lot of evidence can be lost or tampered with," he told AFP. As reports proliferated in recent years that billions were looted from 1MDB, Najib's government shut down domestic inquiries into the scandal, arrested critics calling for a full investigations and muzzled news organisations reporting on the affair. Mahathir has vowed to fully investigate the financial scandal. On Monday the new government set up a task force headed by high-ranking current and senior officials to probe the controversy.

Ex-Malaysia PM Najib quizzed by graft agency

Malaysia's scandal-hit former leader Najib Razak and his wife hit out at the media and police on Saturday, after investigators seeking evidence of corruption were filmed seizing box loads of jewellery, luxury handbags and cash.

Following a surprise victory in an election on May 9, the new government led by Mahathir Mohamad has opened investigations into how billions of dollars disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by Najib.

Najib, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country.

Items seized by police from Najib's residence and other locations linked to the couple included 284 boxes of designer handbags, including prized Birkin handbags from Hermes. Dozens of the luxury bags were filled with cash and jewellery.

Najib's lawyer, Harpal Singh Grewal, told reporters waiting outside the house that the former prime minister and his family were "really very unhappy" that police had confiscated clothes and shoes belonging to his children.

"No attempt was made to verify whether these dresses, shoes, babies clothes and all had anything to do with the investigations which are ongoing," he said.

Television and press reports of police carting away the former first family's personal belongings raised objections from Najib's wife.

"It is our hope that the authorities would observe the rule of law and due process, to avoid a premature public trial," Rosmah's lawyers, Valen, Oh and Partners, said in a statement on her behalf.

"Enforcement agencies should not be feeding social media trolls, but observe and uphold strict professionalism at all times," it added.

At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating the multi-billion dollar scandal.

The round-the-clock search at their residence have prompted some public criticism, including Najib's political rivals who are now in government.

"As former victims of early dawn police raids, I must stress my disagreement in ransacking any home at such an ungodly hour," said ruling coalition politician Nurul Izzah, the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim-- a reformist who was recently released from jail on Wednesday and given full pardon.

"Charge, investigate, prudently," Nurul said on Twitter.

Following a surprise victory in an election on May 9, the new government led by Mahathir Mohamad has opened investigations into how billions of dollars disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by Najib.

Malaysia's scandal-hit former leader Najib Razak and his wife hit out at the media and police on Saturday, after investigators seeking evidence of corruption were filmed seizing box loads of jewellery, luxury handbags and cash. Following a surprise victory in an election on May 9, the new government led by Mahathir Mohamad has opened investigations into how billions of dollars disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded by Najib. Najib, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, have been barred from leaving the country. Items seized by police from Najib's residence and other locations linked to the couple included 284 boxes of designer handbags, including prized Birkin handbags from Hermes. Dozens of the luxury bags were filled with cash and jewellery. Najib's lawyer, Harpal Singh Grewal, told reporters waiting outside the house that the former prime minister and his family were "really very unhappy" that police had confiscated clothes and shoes belonging to his children. "No attempt was made to verify whether these dresses, shoes, babies clothes and all had anything to do with the investigations which are ongoing," he said. Television and press reports of police carting away the former first family's personal belongings raised objections from Najib's wife. "It is our hope that the authorities would observe the rule of law and due process, to avoid a premature public trial," Rosmah's lawyers, Valen, Oh and Partners, said in a statement on her behalf. "Enforcement agencies should not be feeding social media trolls, but observe and uphold strict professionalism at all times," it added. At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating the multi-billion dollar scandal. The round-the-clock search at their residence have prompted some public criticism, including Najib's political rivals who are now in government. "As former victims of early dawn police raids, I must stress my disagreement in ransacking any home at such an ungodly hour," said ruling coalition politician Nurul Izzah, the daughter of Anwar Ibrahim-- a reformist who was recently released from jail on Wednesday and given full pardon. "Charge, investigate, prudently," Nurul said on Twitter.

Malaysia's ex-PM Najib rails at police, wife warns of 'public trial'

Malaysian police seized 284 boxes containing designer handbags and dozens of bags filled with cash and jewellery from a private residence linked to former prime minister Najib Razak on Friday morning.

The items were carted out of a luxury condominium during pre-dawn hours, and included "jewellery, watches and other valuables", police said.

"Exactly how much jewellery, I would not be able to say, because we know that we confiscated bags containing jewellery and the number of jewellery is rather big," Amar Singh, director of police commercial crime investigations, said in a brief presser at the scene recorded by local online channel Star TV.

Singh said police have carried out raids on six premises, which include the prime minister`s office and the prime minister`s official residence in Putrajaya and four private residences linked to the former premier.

Singh earlier confirmed&nbspthat the raids on the premises are related to an investigation into a multi-billion scandal involving the Najib-founded state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Malaysia`s newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has barred Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating 1MDB. Najib denies any wrongdoing.

Malaysia`s newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has barred Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Najib denies any wrongdoing.

Malaysian police seized 284 boxes containing designer handbags and dozens of bags filled with cash and jewellery from a private residence linked to former prime minister Najib Razak on Friday morning. The items were carted out of a luxury condominium during pre-dawn hours, and included "jewellery, watches and other valuables", police said. "Exactly how much jewellery, I would not be able to say, because we know that we confiscated bags containing jewellery and the number of jewellery is rather big," Amar Singh, director of police commercial crime investigations, said in a brief presser at the scene recorded by local online channel Star TV. Singh said police have carried out raids on six premises, which include the prime minister`s office and the prime minister`s official residence in Putrajaya and four private residences linked to the former premier. Singh earlier confirmed&nbspthat the raids on the premises are related to an investigation into a multi-billion scandal involving the Najib-founded state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Malaysia`s newly-elected Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has barred Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, from leaving the country. At least six countries, including the United States, are investigating 1MDB. Najib denies any wrongdoing.

Hundreds of designer handbags, jewellery, cash seized from former Malaysian PM's condo

<a href="www.wionews.com/world/malaysias-anwar-ibrahim-freed-from-jail-after-mahathir-election-win-137351">Anwar Ibrahim</a>, a controversial figure in Malaysian politics, was freed on Wednesday after pardon from King Sultan Muhammad V. Anwar was sentenced to five-year jail term for sodomy, a charge he says was trumped up by the government of ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak. This was the second time Anwar was jailed he was first convicted of sodomy in 2002.

Who is Anwar Ibrahim

Anwar first rose to prominence in the 1970s as a radical Islamic student leader, taking part in protests over rural hunger that earned the first of his three jailings by Malaysia's authoritarian regime. He was held for 20 months under a draconian security law.

But he later shocked many associates by joining the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and eventually caught the eye of Mahathir, the tough leader who dominated politics from 1981 to 2003 and has continued to exert formidable influence.

Anwar enjoyed a meteoric rise in the now-ousted Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Anwar headed various ministries under Mahathir's tutelage in the 1990s, earning praise as a reformer. He eventually became deputy prime minister and Mahathir's presumed successor but fell out with his mentor during the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

The prison term

Anwar launched the 'Reformasi' movement two decades ago to challenge diverse Malaysia's race- and patronage-based politics. The movement challenged Mahathir's government and within weeks, Anwar was arrested and jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption.

Images at the time of a goateed, bespectacled Anwar in court with a black eye and bruises brought condemnation of Mahathir from around the world.

Anwar's trial became a spectacle, with prosecutors at one stage bringing out what they said was a semen-stained mattress allegedly used when he had sex with two male aides.

After being freed in 2004, Anwar was jailed a second time. Both times, he and his supporters have said the charges were politically motivated.

Why the pardon

Anwar was originally jailed 20 years ago by then-premier Mahathir Mohamad, on what supporters insisted were trumped up sodomy charges. He was imprisoned again in 2015 by Najib Razak, the man who was ousted last week in shock polls.

His prison term was scheduled to end on June 8, but Anwar came out of prison early following a pardon from King Sultan Muhammad V after a meeting of the Pardons Board which took into consideration the provisions under Article 42 of the Malaysian Constitution. The pardon was granted on the grounds that there had been a miscarriage of justice.

The deal with Mahathir

Anwar's release caps a remarkable reversal of fortune made possible by the BN's unexpected electoral drubbing a week ago.

The former autocrat Mahathir - who headed BN for 22 years until 2003 - came out of retirement to lead a disparate opposition first assembled by Anwar to a upset victory, fuelled by rising public anger at a massive government corruption scandal under Najib.

Under a pre-election pact, Mahathir, 92, had vowed to enable Anwar's release and eventually step aside for him to become prime minister. On Tuesday, Mahathir said he expected to be prime minister for one or two more years, setting off talk of fresh differences between the two.

The king's pardon enables Anwar to re-enter politics immediately. He cannot directly join the government anytime soon.

He must first be elected to Parliament, having been stripped of his seat in 2015 when his conviction on charges of sodomising a young male aide was upheld on appeal and he went to jail a second time.

Anwar enjoyed a meteoric rise in the now-ousted Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Anwar headed various ministries under Mahathir's tutelage in the 1990s, earning praise as a reformer.

Anwar Ibrahim, a controversial figure in Malaysian politics, was freed on Wednesday after pardon from King Sultan Muhammad V. Anwar was sentenced to five-year jail term for sodomy, a charge he says was trumped up by the government of ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak. This was the second time Anwar was jailed he was first convicted of sodomy in 2002. Who is Anwar Ibrahim Anwar first rose to prominence in the 1970s as a radical Islamic student leader, taking part in protests over rural hunger that earned the first of his three jailings by Malaysia's authoritarian regime. He was held for 20 months under a draconian security law. But he later shocked many associates by joining the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and eventually caught the eye of Mahathir, the tough leader who dominated politics from 1981 to 2003 and has continued to exert formidable influence. Anwar enjoyed a meteoric rise in the now-ousted Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Anwar headed various ministries under Mahathir's tutelage in the 1990s, earning praise as a reformer. He eventually became deputy prime minister and Mahathir's presumed successor but fell out with his mentor during the 1998 Asian financial crisis. The prison term Anwar launched the 'Reformasi' movement two decades ago to challenge diverse Malaysia's race- and patronage-based politics. The movement challenged Mahathir's government and within weeks, Anwar was arrested and jailed on charges of sodomy and corruption. Images at the time of a goateed, bespectacled Anwar in court with a black eye and bruises brought condemnation of Mahathir from around the world. Anwar's trial became a spectacle, with prosecutors at one stage bringing out what they said was a semen-stained mattress allegedly used when he had sex with two male aides. After being freed in 2004, Anwar was jailed a second time. Both times, he and his supporters have said the charges were politically motivated. Why the pardon Anwar was originally jailed 20 years ago by then-premier Mahathir Mohamad, on what supporters insisted were trumped up sodomy charges. He was imprisoned again in 2015 by Najib Razak, the man who was ousted last week in shock polls. His prison term was scheduled to end on June 8, but Anwar came out of prison early following a pardon from King Sultan Muhammad V after a meeting of the Pardons Board which took into consideration the provisions under Article 42 of the Malaysian Constitution. The pardon was granted on the grounds that there had been a miscarriage of justice. The deal with Mahathir Anwar's release caps a remarkable reversal of fortune made possible by the BN's unexpected electoral drubbing a week ago. The former autocrat Mahathir - who headed BN for 22 years until 2003 - came out of retirement to lead a disparate opposition first assembled by Anwar to a upset victory, fuelled by rising public anger at a massive government corruption scandal under Najib. Under a pre-election pact, Mahathir, 92, had vowed to enable Anwar's release and eventually step aside for him to become prime minister. On Tuesday, Mahathir said he expected to be prime minister for one or two more years, setting off talk of fresh differences between the two. The king's pardon enables Anwar to re-enter politics immediately. He cannot directly join the government anytime soon. He must first be elected to Parliament, having been stripped of his seat in 2015 when his conviction on charges of sodomising a young male aide was upheld on appeal and he went to jail a second time.

The roller-coaster life of Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday that an anti-fake news law brought by the previous administration will be given "proper" definition, making it clear to the media and the public what is fake.

"Even though we support freedom of press and freedom of speech, there are limits," Mahathir said in a live telecast on state TV.

Abolishing the anti-fake news law was one of the Mahathir's campaign promises, but his latest comments point to a re-defining of the controversial law, rather than removing it altogether.

"The fake news law will be given a new definition so that the public and media outlets will know what is fake news and what is not fake," Mahathir said.

Former prime minister Najib Razak's government approved the Anti-Fake News 2018 bill last month, which set out fines of up to 500,000 ringgit ($126,646.40) and a maximum six years in jail for violators.

Mahathir was himself accused of fake news, after authorities said they were investigating him for false claims that his plane was sabotaged ahead of the May 9 election.

Mahathir has been prime minister previously, for 22 years starting in 1981.

He used security laws to put his political opponents behind bars and his critics say he restricted free speech and persecuted political opponents.

The current law defines fake news as "news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false" and includes features, visuals and audio recordings.

It covers digital publications and social media and will apply to offenders who maliciously spread "fake news" inside and outside Malaysia, including foreigners, if Malaysia or a Malaysian citizen were affected.

Other countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore and the Philippines, are considering how to tackle "fake news" but human rights activists fear that such laws could be used to stifle free speech.

Malaysia is among the first few countries to introduce a law against it.

Germany approved a plan last year to fine social media networks if they fail to remove hateful postings.

Malaysia already has an arsenal of laws, including a colonial-era Sedition Act, that have been used to clamp down on the unfavourable news and social media posts.

"The fake news law will be given a new definition so that the public and media outlets will know what is fake news and what is not fake," Mahathir said

Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Sunday that an anti-fake news law brought by the previous administration will be given "proper" definition, making it clear to the media and the public what is fake. "Even though we support freedom of press and freedom of speech, there are limits," Mahathir said in a live telecast on state TV. Abolishing the anti-fake news law was one of the Mahathir's campaign promises, but his latest comments point to a re-defining of the controversial law, rather than removing it altogether. "The fake news law will be given a new definition so that the public and media outlets will know what is fake news and what is not fake," Mahathir said. Former prime minister Najib Razak's government approved the Anti-Fake News 2018 bill last month, which set out fines of up to 500,000 ringgit ($126,646.40) and a maximum six years in jail for violators. Mahathir was himself accused of fake news, after authorities said they were investigating him for false claims that his plane was sabotaged ahead of the May 9 election. Mahathir has been prime minister previously, for 22 years starting in 1981. He used security laws to put his political opponents behind bars and his critics say he restricted free speech and persecuted political opponents. The current law defines fake news as "news, information, data and reports which is or are wholly or partly false" and includes features, visuals and audio recordings. It covers digital publications and social media and will apply to offenders who maliciously spread "fake news" inside and outside Malaysia, including foreigners, if Malaysia or a Malaysian citizen were affected. Other countries in Southeast Asia, including Singapore and the Philippines, are considering how to tackle "fake news" but human rights activists fear that such laws could be used to stifle free speech. Malaysia is among the first few countries to introduce a law against it. Germany approved a plan last year to fine social media networks if they fail to remove hateful postings. Malaysia already has an arsenal of laws, including a colonial-era Sedition Act, that have been used to clamp down on the unfavourable news and social media posts.

Re-define fake news law, not abolish it: Malaysia's new PM

Ousted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor have been blacklisted from leaving the country, immigration authorities said on Saturday.

The statement by Malaysian Immigration Department was issued moments after the scandal-plagued former prime minister said in a Facebook post that he and his family were taking a holiday overseas starting from Saturday and would return next week.

Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.

The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.&nbsp

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB

Ousted Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor have been blacklisted from leaving the country, immigration authorities said on Saturday. The statement by Malaysian Immigration Department was issued moments after the scandal-plagued former prime minister said in a Facebook post that he and his family were taking a holiday overseas starting from Saturday and would return next week. Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning. The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.

Malaysia's ousted leader Najib blacklisted from leaving country

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.

The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.

"After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said on Twitter.

Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week`s elections. The new prime minister has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.

Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.&nbsp

The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning. The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier. "After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said on Twitter. Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week`s elections. The new prime minister has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib. Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.

Malaysia's Najib says to take short break, follows reports he may leave for Jakarta

Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon Anwar Ibrahim, the country's newly installed prime minister said Friday, paving the way for the jailed opposition leader to return to politics and potentially become premier.

It was the latest dramatic development after Mahathir Mohamad's opposition alliance inflicted a shock defeat on the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, ending the corruption-riddled regime's six-decade stranglehold on power.

Mahathir was sworn in Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92.&nbsp

Mahathir, who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades before retiring in 2003, cut ties with BN due to allegations that the party's leader and his ex-protege Najib Razak oversaw the pillaging of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.&nbsp

The elderly politician joined forces with opposition parties that opposed him while in power and agreed that if elected, he would hand over the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis.&nbsp

Mahathir has previously said he would likely remain prime minister for two to three years, before transferring power to Anwar.&nbsp

Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, is a key long-time leader of the opposition alliance.

One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.&nbsp

But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as allegations mounted over 1MDB and Najib became increasingly authoritarian, jailing opponents and introducing laws to stifle dissent.&nbsp

Anwar, now 70, was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule, and had been due out next month.

But Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, in a meeting with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant Anwar a royal pardon immediately.

The royal pardon would mean he could return to politics straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years.

"We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir told reporters. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned."

Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday, including finance, defence and foreign affairs.

Asked about 1MDB, he accused Attorney-General Mohamed Ali Apandi -- who cleared Najib over the scandal -- of having "undermined his own credibility".

"He in fact has hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," he said. "Our intention is to go for people who have shown a tendency to be corrupt or who had committed known corrupt crimes."

Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, is a key long-time leader of the opposition alliance.

Malaysia's king has agreed to pardon Anwar Ibrahim, the country's newly installed prime minister said Friday, paving the way for the jailed opposition leader to return to politics and potentially become premier. It was the latest dramatic development after Mahathir Mohamad's opposition alliance inflicted a shock defeat on the long-ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, ending the corruption-riddled regime's six-decade stranglehold on power. Mahathir was sworn in Thursday, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92. Mahathir, who had ruled with an iron fist for over two decades before retiring in 2003, cut ties with BN due to allegations that the party's leader and his ex-protege Najib Razak oversaw the pillaging of sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. The elderly politician joined forces with opposition parties that opposed him while in power and agreed that if elected, he would hand over the premiership to Anwar, his former nemesis. Mahathir has previously said he would likely remain prime minister for two to three years, before transferring power to Anwar. Anwar, from the People's Justice Party, is a key long-time leader of the opposition alliance. One of Malaysia's most charismatic politicians, he was heir-apparent to the premiership until Mahathir sacked him in 1998 and he was subsequently jailed for sodomy and abuse of power. But in a remarkable turnaround, the pair reconciled and joined forces as allegations mounted over 1MDB and Najib became increasingly authoritarian, jailing opponents and introducing laws to stifle dissent. Anwar, now 70, was jailed again in 2015 during Najib's rule, and had been due out next month. But Mahathir told a press conference that King Sultan Muhammad V, in a meeting with opposition leaders, had indicated he was willing to grant Anwar a royal pardon immediately. The royal pardon would mean he could return to politics straight away. Without it, he would be banned from political life for five years. "We will begin the... proper process of obtaining a pardon," Mahathir told reporters. "He should be released immediately when he is pardoned." Mahathir also announced that 10 cabinet positions would be filled on Saturday, including finance, defence and foreign affairs. Asked about 1MDB, he accused Attorney-General Mohamed Ali Apandi -- who cleared Najib over the scandal -- of having "undermined his own credibility". "He in fact has hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," he said. "Our intention is to go for people who have shown a tendency to be corrupt or who had committed known corrupt crimes."

Malaysian king to pardon Anwar Ibrahim, informs PM Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysia's&nbspMahathir&nbspMohamad has never lost an election campaign. He maintained that record and created another one on Thursday when, at 92, he was set to be sworn in as the world's oldest elected leader.

"Yes, yes, I am still alive," a sprightly looking&nbspMahathir&nbspsaid at a 3 a.m. news conference in which he claimed victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that has ruled the Southeast Asian nation since independence six decades ago.

Mahathir&nbspled the coalition as Malaysia's prime minister for 22 years, starting in 1981. As one of the country's most eminent leaders, he was pugnacious, uncompromising and intolerant of dissent, but turned Malaysia from a sleepy backwater into one of the world's modern industrialised nations.

He was never far from the headlines in retirement, and two years ago he came back to active politics, this time in the ranks of the opposition, vowing to oust his protege Najib Razak from the prime minister's chair over a financial scandal at the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In his crusade,&nbspMahathir&nbspeventually quit the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party, which he had helped build, and ceded all his government advisory roles.

"During his time, I was a strong opponent of&nbspMahathir," said Joseph Paul, 70, a retired social worker who joined thousands of people in the capital Kuala Lumpur to celebrateMahathir's win.

"Well, politics they say is the art of the possible, so if he comes in to get rid of another evil, why not?"

Official results early on Thursday showed that&nbspMahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) had won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule in the country's most stunning election result. The nonagenarian is scheduled to be sworn in as prime minister later in the day.

In his earlier stint as prime minister,&nbspMahathir's aggressive diplomacy needled countries like Britain and the United States, with comments such as one, on the eve of his retirement, that Jews ruled the world by proxy.

He was once described as a "menace to his country" by financier George Soros, whom&nbspMahathir&nbspfamously derided as a "moron" in an attack on foreign currency traders during the Asian financial crisis of 1998.

He also spent years squabbling with his old rival and another towering figure in Asian politics, the late Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew.

MODERNISATION

Mahathir&nbspgrew up in the rural heartland of Malaysia, then a British colony, witnessing severe food shortages during the 1930s Great Depression.

Mahathir&nbspwas a medical doctor before becoming Malaysia's fourth prime minister in 1981 and kicking off a mission of modernisation.

Bridges and six-lane highways crisscrossed Malaysia in his development blitz, capped off with a lavish new administrative capital, and the world's tallest structure when it was built, the 88-storey Petronas twin towers in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The activity helped win&nbspMahathir&nbspthe title "Father of Modern Malaysia," but he was known for his strongarm rule, although he fell short of some southeast Asian peers in ruthlessness.

Mahathir&nbspused security laws to put his political opponents behind bars. His critics say he restricted free speech and persecuted political opponents - none more so than his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, who remains in jail on charges of sodomy and corruption.

Mahathir&nbsphas joined hands with Anwar in this campaign and has promised to seek a royal pardon for him. He has vowed to then step aside and let Anwar be prime minister.

Mahathir&nbspwas masterly in playing to the feelings of the mainly Muslim ethnic Malay majority. His 1970 book, "The Malay Dilemma", argued that ethnic Malays, whom he called the nation's rightful owners, were being eclipsed economically by ethnic Chinese.

Faced with a leadership challenge after just five years in office,&nbspMahathir&nbspdetained more than 100 opposition politicians, academics and social activists without trial, under internal security laws.

During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, he took a huge gamble in tackling twin economic and political crises by sacking Anwar and then going against the advice of the International Monetary Fund to impose capital and currency controls that saved the economy.

Anwar took on&nbspMahathir, turning overnight into an opposition politician, bringing tens of thousands of people onto the streets, shouting "Reformasi".

Anwar was later charged with sodomy and corruption, but&nbspMahathir&nbspdenied orchestrating the charges. After his release, he was jailed again during Najib's rule on the same charges.

Mahathir&nbspcontinued to wield power in UMNO even after he handed over in 2003. He backed Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, as the premier in 2009.

But in 2015 he urged Najib to step down over the corruption scandal at state fund 1MDB.

In an interview in March, he said he would keep up the battle against Najib even if he lost this election.

"I will be in my late 90s and physically not as strong," he said. "But if I am well enough, I will continue the struggle."

He also seems to have accepted he made mistakes in rule, writing in a blog post in January that people and the media never failed to point out he presided over an authoritarian government for 22 years.

"Looking back now, I realise why, as Prime Minister of Malaysia I was described as a dictator,"&nbspMahathir&nbspwrote. "There were many things I did which were typically dictatorial."

&nbsp

As one of the country's most eminent leaders, he was pugnacious, uncompromising and intolerant of dissent, but turned Malaysia from a sleepy backwater into one of the world's modern industrialised nations

Malaysia's&nbspMahathir&nbspMohamad has never lost an election campaign. He maintained that record and created another one on Thursday when, at 92, he was set to be sworn in as the world's oldest elected leader. "Yes, yes, I am still alive," a sprightly looking&nbspMahathir&nbspsaid at a 3 a.m. news conference in which he claimed victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that has ruled the Southeast Asian nation since independence six decades ago. Mahathir&nbspled the coalition as Malaysia's prime minister for 22 years, starting in 1981. As one of the country's most eminent leaders, he was pugnacious, uncompromising and intolerant of dissent, but turned Malaysia from a sleepy backwater into one of the world's modern industrialised nations. He was never far from the headlines in retirement, and two years ago he came back to active politics, this time in the ranks of the opposition, vowing to oust his protege Najib Razak from the prime minister's chair over a financial scandal at the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). In his crusade,&nbspMahathir&nbspeventually quit the ruling United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) party, which he had helped build, and ceded all his government advisory roles. "During his time, I was a strong opponent of&nbspMahathir," said Joseph Paul, 70, a retired social worker who joined thousands of people in the capital Kuala Lumpur to celebrateMahathir's win. "Well, politics they say is the art of the possible, so if he comes in to get rid of another evil, why not?" Official results early on Thursday showed that&nbspMahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) had won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule in the country's most stunning election result. The nonagenarian is scheduled to be sworn in as prime minister later in the day. In his earlier stint as prime minister,&nbspMahathir's aggressive diplomacy needled countries like Britain and the United States, with comments such as one, on the eve of his retirement, that Jews ruled the world by proxy. He was once described as a "menace to his country" by financier George Soros, whom&nbspMahathir&nbspfamously derided as a "moron" in an attack on foreign currency traders during the Asian financial crisis of 1998. He also spent years squabbling with his old rival and another towering figure in Asian politics, the late Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew. MODERNISATION Mahathir&nbspgrew up in the rural heartland of Malaysia, then a British colony, witnessing severe food shortages during the 1930s Great Depression. Mahathir&nbspwas a medical doctor before becoming Malaysia's fourth prime minister in 1981 and kicking off a mission of modernisation. Bridges and six-lane highways crisscrossed Malaysia in his development blitz, capped off with a lavish new administrative capital, and the world's tallest structure when it was built, the 88-storey Petronas twin towers in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The activity helped win&nbspMahathir&nbspthe title "Father of Modern Malaysia," but he was known for his strongarm rule, although he fell short of some southeast Asian peers in ruthlessness. Mahathir&nbspused security laws to put his political opponents behind bars. His critics say he restricted free speech and persecuted political opponents - none more so than his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, who remains in jail on charges of sodomy and corruption. Mahathir&nbsphas joined hands with Anwar in this campaign and has promised to seek a royal pardon for him. He has vowed to then step aside and let Anwar be prime minister. Mahathir&nbspwas masterly in playing to the feelings of the mainly Muslim ethnic Malay majority. His 1970 book, "The Malay Dilemma", argued that ethnic Malays, whom he called the nation's rightful owners, were being eclipsed economically by ethnic Chinese. Faced with a leadership challenge after just five years in office,&nbspMahathir&nbspdetained more than 100 opposition politicians, academics and social activists without trial, under internal security laws. During the 1998 Asian financial crisis, he took a huge gamble in tackling twin economic and political crises by sacking Anwar and then going against the advice of the International Monetary Fund to impose capital and currency controls that saved the economy. Anwar took on&nbspMahathir, turning overnight into an opposition politician, bringing tens of thousands of people onto the streets, shouting "Reformasi". Anwar was later charged with sodomy and corruption, but&nbspMahathir&nbspdenied orchestrating the charges. After his release, he was jailed again during Najib's rule on the same charges. Mahathir&nbspcontinued to wield power in UMNO even after he handed over in 2003. He backed Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, as the premier in 2009. But in 2015 he urged Najib to step down over the corruption scandal at state fund 1MDB. In an interview in March, he said he would keep up the battle against Najib even if he lost this election. "I will be in my late 90s and physically not as strong," he said. "But if I am well enough, I will continue the struggle." He also seems to have accepted he made mistakes in rule, writing in a blog post in January that people and the media never failed to point out he presided over an authoritarian government for 22 years. "Looking back now, I realise why, as Prime Minister of Malaysia I was described as a dictator,"&nbspMahathir&nbspwrote. "There were many things I did which were typically dictatorial."

At 92, former strongman Mahathir is Malaysia's comeback kid

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has won a historc victory making him the olderst as well as the longest serving Prime Minister in Malaysia.&nbsp;

Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years.With all 222 seats in the country's Parliament accounted for, Mahathir's coalition had officially won 121 seats -- enough to form a simple majority and take control of the House. Barisan Nasional, in contrast, only had 79 seats -- a far cry from the 133 it won in the 2013 election.

Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

"We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule.&nbsp;

The swearing-in ceremoney will be held on Thursday which has been marked as a public holiday in Malaysia, the government announced.

Najib is also expected to address the media at 9.45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT). He has not spoken publicly since the results were declared but a member of his Cabinet said they would accept the will of the people.

Najib had been under massive pressure in the run up to the elections, chiefly due to long-running allegations of corruption and misappropriation of money from a state fund, known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, but also because of deeply unpopular moves such as the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST), which many Malaysians feel has caused the cost of living to spike sharply.

The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN.

In the previous election, in 2013, the opposition made unprecedented gains, winning the popular vote, but it failed to win enough seats to form a government.

CREDIT WARNING

Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off.

Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats.

Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments.

Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating.

Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries.

The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.

Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia.

Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court."

Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib.

"I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters.

Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has won a historc victory making him the olderst as well as the longest serving Prime Minister in Malaysia. Mahathir, 92, defeated the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power 60 years.With all 222 seats in the country's Parliament accounted for, Mahathir's coalition had officially won 121 seats -- enough to form a simple majority and take control of the House. Barisan Nasional, in contrast, only had 79 seats -- a far cry from the 133 it won in the 2013 election. Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957. "We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule. The swearing-in ceremoney will be held on Thursday which has been marked as a public holiday in Malaysia, the government announced. Najib is also expected to address the media at 9.45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT). He has not spoken publicly since the results were declared but a member of his Cabinet said they would accept the will of the people. Najib had been under massive pressure in the run up to the elections, chiefly due to long-running allegations of corruption and misappropriation of money from a state fund, known as the 1Malaysia Development Berhad, but also because of deeply unpopular moves such as the introduction of a goods and services tax (GST), which many Malaysians feel has caused the cost of living to spike sharply. The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN. In the previous election, in 2013, the opposition made unprecedented gains, winning the popular vote, but it failed to win enough seats to form a government. CREDIT WARNING Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off. Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats. Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments. Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating. Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries. The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing. Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia. Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court." Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib. "I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters.

Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad to be sworn-in as PM after historic poll win

Malaysian politicians from both government and opposition camps complained of "dirty tricks" after voting in a general election began on Wednesday, as non-stop spam calls to their mobile phones disrupted communications with party organisers.

Malaysian civil rights group Suaram said the spam calls, which have also affected civil society group leaders, was a "clear attempt to impede the work of human rights defenders and politicians at the critical juncture of voting day".

The elections is arguably the toughest faced by Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, as it contends with a resurgent opposition pact led by former strongman Mahathir Mohamad.

While the complaints came from all sides, none of the political figures whose phones had been targeted specified who they suspected was behind the attack.

Najib condemned the "spam calls" received by BN leaders, and said that many of the coalition's websites could not be accessed.

"I have ordered for immediate action to be taken," the prime minister said on Twitter.

Some leaders from the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition said they had switched off their phones after receiving automated calls nearly every minute from mostly unknown overseas numbers, since before polling stations opened.

"This is a dirty tech attack on us, we have been paralysed. We cannot talk to anyone... they are trying to sabotage the electoral system to deny a PH win," said Lim Guan Eng, a senior opposition leader.

"The telcos must do something. We can complain to the authorities, but what can they do now?" Lim said.

A minister in Najib's government said his phone had also received multiple calls from unknown numbers from the United States, the U.K. and&nbspMalaysia, while another ruling coalition leader posted a video on twitter showing a phone receiving call after call.

The&nbspMalaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country's communications regulator, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Azmin Ali, the chief minister of the opposition-held state of Selangor, said he left his mobile phone in his car when he went out to vote as he was getting continuous calls and junk emails.

"They are desperate, so they are using all sorts of tactics to jam us. But at the end of the day, it's people's power," he told reporters after casting his vote.

Khairy Jamaluddin, the sports minister and youth wing leader of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the ruling coalition, was among the leaders from the government side that said they had been targeted too.

"My phone seems to be under some sort of spam attack this morning," said Khairy, displaying on his Twitter account a screenshot of a list of calls received. "Strange."

Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a ruling coalition leader, posted a video showing a phone receiving endless calls.

"Calls from overseas keep coming in every few seconds! To prevent us from communicating with our machinery. This is dirty trick!" he said in a Twitter post.

Reuters reported in April that automated accounts known as bots were flooding Twitter with tens of thousands of pro-government and anti-opposition messages, just weeks before the general election.

A survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center showed BN has seen a drop in its share of the popular vote, but was still expected to win enough parliamentary seats to retain power.

The elections is arguably the toughest faced by Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, as it contends with a resurgent opposition pact led by former strongman Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysian politicians from both government and opposition camps complained of "dirty tricks" after voting in a general election began on Wednesday, as non-stop spam calls to their mobile phones disrupted communications with party organisers. Malaysian civil rights group Suaram said the spam calls, which have also affected civil society group leaders, was a "clear attempt to impede the work of human rights defenders and politicians at the critical juncture of voting day". The elections is arguably the toughest faced by Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, as it contends with a resurgent opposition pact led by former strongman Mahathir Mohamad. While the complaints came from all sides, none of the political figures whose phones had been targeted specified who they suspected was behind the attack. Najib condemned the "spam calls" received by BN leaders, and said that many of the coalition's websites could not be accessed. "I have ordered for immediate action to be taken," the prime minister said on Twitter. Some leaders from the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition said they had switched off their phones after receiving automated calls nearly every minute from mostly unknown overseas numbers, since before polling stations opened. "This is a dirty tech attack on us, we have been paralysed. We cannot talk to anyone... they are trying to sabotage the electoral system to deny a PH win," said Lim Guan Eng, a senior opposition leader. "The telcos must do something. We can complain to the authorities, but what can they do now?" Lim said. A minister in Najib's government said his phone had also received multiple calls from unknown numbers from the United States, the U.K. and&nbspMalaysia, while another ruling coalition leader posted a video on twitter showing a phone receiving call after call. The&nbspMalaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country's communications regulator, did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Azmin Ali, the chief minister of the opposition-held state of Selangor, said he left his mobile phone in his car when he went out to vote as he was getting continuous calls and junk emails. "They are desperate, so they are using all sorts of tactics to jam us. But at the end of the day, it's people's power," he told reporters after casting his vote. Khairy Jamaluddin, the sports minister and youth wing leader of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the ruling coalition, was among the leaders from the government side that said they had been targeted too. "My phone seems to be under some sort of spam attack this morning," said Khairy, displaying on his Twitter account a screenshot of a list of calls received. "Strange." Abdul Rahman Dahlan, a ruling coalition leader, posted a video showing a phone receiving endless calls. "Calls from overseas keep coming in every few seconds! To prevent us from communicating with our machinery. This is dirty trick!" he said in a Twitter post. Reuters reported in April that automated accounts known as bots were flooding Twitter with tens of thousands of pro-government and anti-opposition messages, just weeks before the general election. A survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center showed BN has seen a drop in its share of the popular vote, but was still expected to win enough parliamentary seats to retain power.

Malaysian politicians claim tech sabotage as polling begins

Malaysian police intercepted a tanker carrying 131 Sri Lankans. The tanker was bound for Australia and New Zealand.&nbsp

The authorities halted the tanker on Tuesday and rescued 98 Sri Lankan immigrant men, 24 women, four boys and five girls.

A fishing boat was also raided which is believed to be used to transport the migrants to the vessel. Three Indonesians and four Malaysians were rescued from the boat.&nbsp

The authorities have detained five Malaysians for suspected involvement in the smuggling.&nbsp

According to Malaysian officials, the human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year.

The human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year

Malaysian police intercepted a tanker carrying 131 Sri Lankans. The tanker was bound for Australia and New Zealand. The authorities halted the tanker on Tuesday and rescued 98 Sri Lankan immigrant men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. A fishing boat was also raided which is believed to be used to transport the migrants to the vessel. Three Indonesians and four Malaysians were rescued from the boat. The authorities have detained five Malaysians for suspected involvement in the smuggling. According to Malaysian officials, the human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year.

Malaysia foils smuggling racket, rescues 131 Sri Lankan immigrants

Around 278,000 Malaysians cast their ballots on Saturday for the country's general elections scheduled for May 9.

About 300,000 people registered for early voting, according to Malaysia's Election Commission.

Police officers, military personnel, their spouses, and some journalists comprise the majority of early voters, who choose to cast their ballots early because they'll be working on the day of the general election.

The votes cast on Saturday will be kept safe until they're counted on May 9.

The Malaysian Parliament was dissolved on April 7, and candidates were officially nominated on April 28, kicking off the 11-day campaign period.

The general election will see the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional, led by Najib Razak, facing a challenge from the opposition pact led by the 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad.

The votes cast on Saturday will be kept safe until they're counted on May 9

Around 278,000 Malaysians cast their ballots on Saturday for the country's general elections scheduled for May 9. About 300,000 people registered for early voting, according to Malaysia's Election Commission. Police officers, military personnel, their spouses, and some journalists comprise the majority of early voters, who choose to cast their ballots early because they'll be working on the day of the general election. The votes cast on Saturday will be kept safe until they're counted on May 9. The Malaysian Parliament was dissolved on April 7, and candidates were officially nominated on April 28, kicking off the 11-day campaign period. The general election will see the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional, led by Najib Razak, facing a challenge from the opposition pact led by the 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad.

Early voting begins for Malaysia's general elections

Malaysian authorities&nbsphave convicted a Danish man for&nbsp''fake news'' making it&nbspa first arrest&nbspunder the controversial law.

46-year-old man name Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman a Yemeni descent posted a video on YouTube accusing emergency services, police and ambulance responding late to the distress call after a Palestinian lecturer was gunned down in Kuala Lumpur&nbspon April 21.

In his video, Sulaiman claimed in Arabic that the authorities&nbsptook 50 minutes in responding to the distress calls after the incident took place whereas the police have disputed claiming that it took eight minutes to respond.

Sulaiman has&nbsppleaded guilty in court and said that he didn't mean to spread any kind of harm to the society as he apologised. He further said that the two-minute video was made under frustrated emotion.

He has been sentenced to a week by a local judge and fined with 10,000 ringgit.

The court has further directed to extend his imprisonment by one month if he fails to pay his fine.

Ahead of the upcoming elections in May, Malaysia introduced laws against fake news to crack down on people spreading false information and hate speech.

However, the law was criticised by the Malaysian media and experts as it has alleged that the law breaches constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. Some critics of the law are also seeing it as an attempt to suppress talks of the corruption ahead of the election.

Malaysia became one of the few countries who introduced laws against fake news issue. The law was passed earlier in April which makes spreading false news punishable by up to six years with a hefty fine of&nbsp500,000 ringgit.

46-year-old man name Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman a Yemeni descent posted a video on YouTube accusing emergency services, police and ambulance responding late to the distress call

Malaysian authorities&nbsphave convicted a Danish man for ''fake news'' making it&nbspa first arrest&nbspunder the controversial law. 46-year-old man name Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman a Yemeni descent posted a video on YouTube accusing emergency services, police and ambulance responding late to the distress call after a Palestinian lecturer was gunned down in Kuala Lumpur&nbspon April 21. In his video, Sulaiman claimed in Arabic that the authorities&nbsptook 50 minutes in responding to the distress calls after the incident took place whereas the police have disputed claiming that it took eight minutes to respond. Sulaiman has&nbsppleaded guilty in court and said that he didn't mean to spread any kind of harm to the society as he apologised. He further said that the two-minute video was made under frustrated emotion. He has been sentenced to a week by a local judge and fined with 10,000 ringgit. The court has further directed to extend his imprisonment by one month if he fails to pay his fine. Ahead of the upcoming elections in May, Malaysia introduced laws against fake news to crack down on people spreading false information and hate speech. However, the law was criticised by the Malaysian media and experts as it has alleged that the law breaches constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. Some critics of the law are also seeing it as an attempt to suppress talks of the corruption ahead of the election. Malaysia became one of the few countries who introduced laws against fake news issue. The law was passed earlier in April which makes spreading false news punishable by up to six years with a hefty fine of&nbsp500,000 ringgit.

Malaysia: First person convicted under fake news law

The Malaysian police on Monday released computer-generated pictures of the two men behind the killing of a Palestinian Hamas weapons engineer on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, reports said.&nbsp

The two unidentified men shot Fadi al-Batsh and engineering lecturer and also a Hamas drones and rocket expert, killing him on the spot, reports said. Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister said the suspects were believed to be linked to a foreign intelligence service.

The police department said that the men, who were on motorcycles, fired over 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim. While Hamas and Batsch’s family have pointed the finger at the Mossad, Mohamad Fuzi said it was too early to speculate.

Police Chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun informed that alerts have been made at all country's exit points but said that it is likely that the men may have fled soon after the attack.&nbsp

The photographs of the suspects are based on descriptions by witnesses and not actual pictures saying that it could be possible that they were European&nbspor Middle Eastern, reports said.

Both suspects were on a high-powered, dark-colored motorbike which could be a BMW or a Kawasaki. Both were carrying backpacks and have on dark jackets and helmets, which likely obscured a direct photo of their faces.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi added the victim had links with foreign intelligence and was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building.

The victim could have been seen as “a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Hamas, which exercises de facto control over Gaza, said one of its members had been “assassinated” in Malaysia and it had sent a delegation to meet with Malaysian officials to discuss the killing.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Israel’s Mossad intelligence service had been behind past attempts to assassinate Palestinian scientists, and that al-Batsh’s killing “follows this sequence.”

Officials in Israel declined to comment.

Batsh’s uncle Jamal al-Batsh spoke to Reuters in the town of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip.

 
&nbsp

The two unidentified men shot Fadi al-Batsh and engineering lecturer and also a Hamas drones and rocket expert, killing him on the spot

The Malaysian police on Monday released computer-generated pictures of the two men behind the killing of a Palestinian Hamas weapons engineer on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur, reports said. The two unidentified men shot Fadi al-Batsh and engineering lecturer and also a Hamas drones and rocket expert, killing him on the spot, reports said. Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister said the suspects were believed to be linked to a foreign intelligence service. The police department said that the men, who were on motorcycles, fired over 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim. While Hamas and Batsch’s family have pointed the finger at the Mossad, Mohamad Fuzi said it was too early to speculate. Police Chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun informed that alerts have been made at all country's exit points but said that it is likely that the men may have fled soon after the attack. The photographs of the suspects are based on descriptions by witnesses and not actual pictures saying that it could be possible that they were European&nbspor Middle Eastern, reports said. Both suspects were on a high-powered, dark-colored motorbike which could be a BMW or a Kawasaki. Both were carrying backpacks and have on dark jackets and helmets, which likely obscured a direct photo of their faces. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi added the victim had links with foreign intelligence and was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. The victim could have been seen as “a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine,” Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama. Hamas, which exercises de facto control over Gaza, said one of its members had been “assassinated” in Malaysia and it had sent a delegation to meet with Malaysian officials to discuss the killing. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Israel’s Mossad intelligence service had been behind past attempts to assassinate Palestinian scientists, and that al-Batsh’s killing “follows this sequence.” Officials in Israel declined to comment. Batsh’s uncle Jamal al-Batsh spoke to Reuters in the town of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip.

Malaysia police releases pictures of suspects involved in Palestinian lecturer, Hamas shooting

Israel's defence minister said on Sunday a Palestinian scientist shot dead in Malaysia was a rocket expert and "no saint", but dismissed suggestions by Hamas that Israel's Mossad spy agency assassinated him.

Two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot, the city's police chief, Mazlan Lazim said.

Hamas, an Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, said one of its members had been assassinated in Malaysia. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Mossad had been behind past attempts to kill Palestinian scientists, and the attack on Batsh "follows this sequence."

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it was likely that Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute.

"We heard about it in the news. The terrorist organisations blame every assassination on Israel - we're used to that," Lieberman told Israel Radio.

"The man was no saint and he didn't deal with improving infrastructure in Gaza - he was involved in improving rockets' accuracy ... We constantly see a settling of accounts between various factions in the terrorist organisations and I suppose that is what happened in this case."

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Saturday the suspects in the killing, who fled the scene, were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, state news agency Bernama reported.

He added that Batsh was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organisations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building.

He could have been seen as "a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine," Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun said on Sunday that no arrests had been made.

Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university.

Batsh's uncle Jamal al-Batsh, speaking to Reuters in the Gaza Strip, said he believed Mossad was behind the killing because "Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists".

Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction, fired thousands of rockets at Israel, most of them intercepted by an anti-missile system, during a 2014 Gaza war that included devastating Israeli attacks in the enclave of two million Palestinians.

In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the

Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests

demanding the right to return to homes that are now in Israel.

Israel's use of live fire, killing at least 35 Palestinians, has drawn international criticism. Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence.

 
&nbsp &nbsp

&nbsp

Israel's defence minister said on Sunday a Palestinian scientist shot dead in Malaysia was a rocket expert and 'no saint', but dismissed suggestions by Hamas that Israel's Mossad spy agency assassinated him

Israel's defence minister said on Sunday a Palestinian scientist shot dead in Malaysia was a rocket expert and "no saint", but dismissed suggestions by Hamas that Israel's Mossad spy agency assassinated him. Two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, killing him on the spot, the city's police chief, Mazlan Lazim said. Hamas, an Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, said one of its members had been assassinated in Malaysia. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Mossad had been behind past attempts to kill Palestinian scientists, and the attack on Batsh "follows this sequence." Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said it was likely that Batsh was killed as part of an internal Palestinian dispute. "We heard about it in the news. The terrorist organisations blame every assassination on Israel - we're used to that," Lieberman told Israel Radio. "The man was no saint and he didn't deal with improving infrastructure in Gaza - he was involved in improving rockets' accuracy ... We constantly see a settling of accounts between various factions in the terrorist organisations and I suppose that is what happened in this case." Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Saturday the suspects in the killing, who fled the scene, were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, state news agency Bernama reported. He added that Batsh was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organisations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. He could have been seen as "a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine," Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama. Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Bin Harun said on Sunday that no arrests had been made. Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university. Batsh's uncle Jamal al-Batsh, speaking to Reuters in the Gaza Strip, said he believed Mossad was behind the killing because "Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists". Hamas, which advocates Israel's destruction, fired thousands of rockets at Israel, most of them intercepted by an anti-missile system, during a 2014 Gaza war that included devastating Israeli attacks in the enclave of two million Palestinians. In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests demanding the right to return to homes that are now in Israel. Israel's use of live fire, killing at least 35 Palestinians, has drawn international criticism. Israel says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence.

Israel dismisses suggestions it killed Palestinian in Malaysia

According to reports, a man gunned down in Malaysia was a member of the Hamas militant group who made "important contributions" in the field of science.

A statement released by Hamas earlier today identified the man as Fadi al-Batsh and described him as a Palestinian engineer who was also a "loyal" Hamas member.

No further details on Batsh's scientific accomplishments were made available. The statement noted that Fadi al-Batsh had earlier participated in international forums in the field of energy.

Hamas noted that Batsh was "assassinated by the hand of treachery" while his relatives blamed his death on Israel.

According to the Malaysian police, Batsh, on his way to a mosque for his morning prayers, was gunned down by two people riding a motorbike. Batsh is believed to be related to a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group.

A statement released by Hamas earlier today identified the man as Fadi al-Batsh

According to reports, a man gunned down in Malaysia was a member of the Hamas militant group who made "important contributions" in the field of science. A statement released by Hamas earlier today identified the man as Fadi al-Batsh and described him as a Palestinian engineer who was also a "loyal" Hamas member. No further details on Batsh's scientific accomplishments were made available. The statement noted that Fadi al-Batsh had earlier participated in international forums in the field of energy. Hamas noted that Batsh was "assassinated by the hand of treachery" while his relatives blamed his death on Israel. According to the Malaysian police, Batsh, on his way to a mosque for his morning prayers, was gunned down by two people riding a motorbike. Batsh is believed to be related to a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group.

Man gunned down in Malaysia was 'important' member: Hamas

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