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Cklamovski praises Malaysia’s spirited comeback in Asian Cup qualifier

Cklamovski praises Malaysia’s spirited comeback in Asian Cup qualifier

NATIONAL head coach Peter Cklamovski praised his squad’s team spirit following their 5-1 victory over Laos in the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. He acknowledged the team’s first half performance was rather blunt after conceding the opening goal to their opponents. The versatility in achieving a perfect finish was successfully executed by his players during the second half to stage an impressive comeback. Cklamovski described the match as a good challenge and gave full credit to his players for staying patient and believing in their game plan. Laos coach Ha Hyeokjun acknowledged the superior quality of the Malaysian squad across all aspects of the game. He noted his team played according to their plan in the first half but lost focus and mentality in the second period. The Laos coach believes his players are improving throughout the matches but recognized Malaysia’s advantage of having a higher quality league. Malaysia staged a stylish comeback in the second half before over 18,000 spectators at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The victory maintains Malaysia’s unbeaten record after four matches in Group F of the Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers. Malaysia currently leads the group with 12 points, followed by Vietnam in second place with nine points. Laos sits in third position with three points while Nepal remains at the bottom with no points. The national team is scheduled to face Nepal in their next qualifying match on November 18. Malaysia will conclude their group stage campaign against Vietnam in Hanoi next March. – Bernama

Pengecualian bayaran PTPTN: Definisi ijazah kelas pertama disemak semula

Pengecualian bayaran PTPTN: Definisi ijazah kelas pertama disemak semula

PUTRAJAYA: Kerajaan akan menyemak semula kriteria penerima pengecualian bayaran balik pinjaman Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) bagi graduan ijazah pertama yang memperoleh keputusan cemerlang. Menteri Pendidikan Tinggi, Datuk Seri Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir berkata, proses semakan semula itu penting bagi memastikan hanya pelajar layak, termasuk menepati definisi sebenar ‘kelas pertama’, diberikan pengecualian bayaran. Katanya, ... Read more The post Pengecualian bayaran PTPTN: Definisi ijazah kelas pertama disemak semula appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Fomca against move to use EPF for insurance

Fomca against move to use EPF for insurance

PETALING JAYA : The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has urged the government against allowing the use of retirement savings to pay for medical insurance, adding that the move could have negative long-term effects. Its CEO Dr Saravanan Thambirajah said while expanding healthcare coverage is vital, the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) must remain untouched. “Many Malaysians have insufficient EPF balances, and diverting funds to insurance would only worsen financial insecurity in old age,” he said, urging the government to reconsider the proposal and instead strengthen pooled health protection schemes or provide targeted subsidies. Saravanan, however, welcomed several consumer-friendly measures under Budget 2026, including the upcoming Consumer Credit Act, the Cybercrime Bill and the expansion of the National Scam Response Centre. He said the Budget reflected a “people-first” approach, with initiatives such as the Lemon Law, cost-of-living relief, affordable housing, improved public transport, stronger food security and faster progress towards sustainable energy. “Overall, this budget takes concrete steps to ease cost-of-living pressures, strengthen consumer protection and promote long-term sustainability.” The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) also hailed the Lemon Law, to be introduced through amendments to the Consumer Protection Act, as a major win for consumers. “We hope the Lemon Law would also cover new cars,” said its president Mohideen Abdul Kader. He welcomed the government’s plan to table the Anti-Bullying Bill 2025, calling for awareness campaigns and skills-building programmes to foster a long-term cultural shift against bullying. However, he expressed disappointment that excise duties on cigarettes were raised by only two sen per stick, while other tobacco products saw increases of RM20 to RM40 per kg “These are too low to reduce smoking rates.” He also said the RM46.5 billion allocation for the Health Ministry was up by only RM1.2 billion from last year, calling for greater investment in preventive healthcare and health-promotion programmes to lower long-term treatment costs. He added that CAP had hoped for stronger measures and higher allocations to combat pollution, prevent environmental crimes and support zero-waste community efforts, “but this is not reflected in this year’s Budget”. He also urged the government to ensure that targeted subsidies reach low-income groups directly, without leakages. Meanwhile, CAP education officer N.V. Subbarow described the tobacco tax hike as “good news, better than nothing”. “Smokers must realise they are consuming a deadly product. Please stop.” He also praised the alcohol tax increase as “very welcoming, healthy news”. “The revenue collected will support the Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (campaign). This is what we want,” he said, adding that authorities must now act against cigarette and alcohol smuggling following the new tax measures.

Trump administration says 4,108 workers have been fired since shutdown began

Trump administration says 4,108 workers have been fired since shutdown began

THE number of U.S. federal worker layoffs as a result of the government shutdown was revised downward on Tuesday, suggesting the Trump administration’s initial statement about sweeping job cuts was too ambitious. The Trump administration has dismissed 4,108 employees since October 1, the day the U.S. government shutdown began, according to a statement filed Tuesday in court by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department last week in a separate court filing estimated the figure was at least 4,278. The cuts amount to a fraction of the U.S. government’s workforce. U.S. agencies employed some 2 million civilians at the start of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump blamed the cuts on the U.S. government shutdown. The government is closed because Trump and lawmakers have failed to agree on a spending plan for federal agencies. Trump is trying to pressure Democrats into accepting his spending plan by firing federal workers and cutting programs he says Democrats favor. Since 1981, the U.S. has had 15 federal government shutdowns that furloughed hundreds of thousands of workers. No president has sought to use a shutdown as the basis for large-scale firings. The dismissals are expected to disrupt government operations, including disease outbreak investigations and college preparation. Federal worker unions are suing to overturn the firings. The law prohibits U.S. agencies from carrying out functions without approved funding from Congress. There are certain exceptions, including for national security purposes and essential services to protect life and property. The unions said that implementing layoffs is not an essential service that can be performed during a government closure. The shutdown does not justify mass job cuts because most federal workers have been furloughed without pay, they said. A federal judge is due to hear the case on October 15. Lawmakers from Maryland and Virginia blasted the firings at a rally near the White House on Tuesday morning, arguing that the cuts are hurting the families they represent. Roughly 20% of the federal workforce lives in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia, according to federal statistics. “We will not be defined by small people who have not a drop of empathy in their soul,“ Representative Don Beyer, a Virginia Democrat, said at the rally. - Reuters

IMF maintains Malaysia’s 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.5 percent

IMF maintains Malaysia’s 2025 GDP growth forecast at 4.5 percent

KUALA LUMPUR : The International Monetary Fund has maintained its projection for Malaysia’s real gross domestic product growth of 4.5% in 2025 and 4.0% in 2026. According to its October 2025 World Economic Outlook update titled “Global Economy in Flux, Prospects Remain Dim”, the IMF had previously set Malaysia’s 2024 GDP at 5.1%. For emerging market and developing economies, the IMF has forecast growth to moderate to 4.2% in 2025 and 4.0% in 2026 from 4.3% in 2024. This projection is virtually unchanged from the July World Economic Outlook Update and represents a cumulative upward revision of 0.6 percentage point from the April 2025 World Economic Outlook. The forecast is lower than the October 2024 forecast by a cumulative 0.2 percentage point, with low-income developing countries experiencing a larger downward revision than middle-income economies. Growth in emerging and developing Asia is expected to decline from 5.3% in 2024 to 5.2% in 2025 and further to 4.7% in 2026. For quite a few countries in the region, particularly in ASEAN among the most affected, the evolution of growth forecasts largely mimicked that of effective tariff rates. In China, the 2025 GDP growth forecast was revised downward by 0.6 percentage point in the April 2025 World Economic Outlook, with the escalation of trade tensions between China and the United States. The forecast was then upward by 0.8 percentage point in the July World Economic Outlook Update, following the pause on higher rates in May. The IMF also stated a stronger-than-expected outturn in the past few quarters, reflecting front-loading in international trade and relatively robust domestic consumption supported by fiscal expansion in 2025. This more than offset the headwinds from higher uncertainty and tariffs. – Bernama

‘Perang’ lori lebih muatan bermula

‘Perang’ lori lebih muatan bermula

PUTRAJAYA: Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) semalam melancarkan ‘perang besar-besaran’ terhadap kenderaan perdagangan yang membawa lebih muatan, dalam usaha mengekang ketidakpatuhan undang-undang serta sikap sambil lewa pengusaha dan pemandu lori berat. Menteri Pengangkutan, Anthony Loke berkata, operasi penguatkuasaan bersepadu itu dilaksanakan mulai malam semalam hingga 31 Disember 2025, merangkumi lima zon utama, Utara, Tengah, Selatan, Timur ... Read more The post ‘Perang’ lori lebih muatan bermula appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Artis bersatu lawan ‘buli’

Artis bersatu lawan ‘buli’

PETALING JAYA: ‘Setiap kali kita diam, buli menang.’ Itulah mesej utama di sebalik penganjuran Konsert KITA – Suara Anti Buli 2025, sebuah persembahan istimewa anjuran Nusavue yang menghimpunkan suara-suara hebat tanah air bagi menyemarakkan keberanian, kasih sayang dan perpaduan dalam menentang budaya buli di semua lapisan masyarakat. Konsert yang akan berlangsung pada 7 Disember (Ahad), ... Read more The post Artis bersatu lawan ‘buli’ appeared first on Utusan Malaysia .

Malaysia and Cambodia strengthen cooperation to combat drug trafficking

Malaysia and Cambodia strengthen cooperation to combat drug trafficking

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia and Cambodia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating cross-border drug trafficking and enhancing regional security. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the agenda was discussed during a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun in Phnom Penh. “This meeting provided an important platform to review the progress of existing cooperation and to chart new initiatives aimed at strengthening bilateral ties in strategic areas, including law enforcement, cross-border drug prevention, rehabilitation, youth protection, and regional security collaboration,” he said in a Facebook post. At the meeting, Ahmad Zahid also highlighted Malaysia’s approach to fighting drugs, which now emphasises rehabilitation, including the operation of active rehab centres, technical training through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and various community initiatives to eliminate social stigma against former addicts. He said Cambodia also expressed interest in collaboration, particularly through training, the exchange of expertise, and visits to rehabilitation centres such as the Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centres. “Insya-Allah, this agreement will create opportunities for more dynamic cooperation in tackling shared challenges, directly benefiting Malaysians and Cambodians, while enhancing regional security, stability, and fostering a more prosperous future,” he said. Ahmad Zahid is in Cambodia for a three-day working visit from October 13 to 15. He is in Phnom Penh to attend the 13th ASEAN Ministers’ Meeting on Disaster Management, the 14th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and related meetings. – Bernama