Among the watch enthusiast community, one camera seemingly proves inordinately popular. Horophiles, or those who love timekeeping devices, gravitate toward the Ricoh GR IIIx. Why?
IPOH, June 13 — Buildings constructed without planning permission are illegal and will not be allowed access to water or electricity supplies, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said.
He said the policy was intended to prevent the emergence of illegal settlements, including those linked to foreign communities such as the Rohingya.
“The issue of Rohingya refugees falls under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department, which conducts regular inspections and enforcement operations.
“However, the government’s policy is clear. Anyone entering the country, whether on humanitarian grounds or as a refugee, must obtain government approval,” he told reporters after visiting an unclaimed money mobile counter here today.
Nga was commenting on reports of an unauthorised four-storey building constructed by the Rohingya community in a remote area of Sungai Tekali, Hulu Langat, Selangor.
Meanwhile, he said the government had revoked 26,108 business licences operated by foreign nationals through 4,000 enforcement operations carried out nationwide as of May this year.
“Foreign nationals are not allowed to run businesses or hold business licences. They may work as employees, but they cannot own businesses,” he said.
Nga added that local authorities nationwide had been directed to step up enforcement efforts, while urging the public to report the presence of illegal immigrants or any suspicious activities to the authorities.
On the unclaimed money campaign, he said RM13 billion is currently available for claim and encouraged the public to check their status.
“The process is simple. Citizens only need to bring their identity card and a bank statement,” he said.
Nga said the initiative is in line with Section 13(1) of the Unclaimed Moneys Act 1965, under which funds left untouched for more than seven years are transferred to the Unclaimed Moneys Account managed by the Accountant General’s Department.
“The money belongs to the rightful owners, but many are unaware that they have unclaimed funds,” he added.
“Starting this week, we will launch the campaign beginning in the Kepayang state constituency, with Pakatan Harapan elected representatives visiting constituencies across Perak to assist the public in reclaiming their money,” he said. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) minister Nga Kor Ming revealed that Kuala Lumpur now ranks 65th in the global smart city index.
Speaking at the launch of the KL Architecture Festival’s (KLAF) Tropical Fruit Pavilion launch at Titiwangsa Lake Garden this morning, Nga also said that KL is among the top 10 most popular cities in the world in terms of international tourist arrivals according to Mastercard.
The launch was also attended by the Federal Territories minister Hannah Yeoh as well as KL mayor Datuk Fadlun Mak Ujud.
“Among thousands, we are ranked number 65.
“And I’m fully confident under Hannah and Datuk Fadlun’s leadership, KL is going to be in the top 50 soon,” Nga said.
He added that KL is also ranked number four globally for a city with the most skyscrapers.
“To my surprise as well, KL is ranked number four in the world for a city with the most numbers of high skyscrapers.
“We currently have 494 buildings that are actually qualified as skyscrapers,”Nga added.
Touching on the KLAF’S Tropical Fruit Pavillion in Titiwangsa, Nga said that there are around 12 interactive pavillions that have has been installed at the park starting today until this December.
He said that this is an example of how architecture can transcend conventional boundaries and be meaningfully integrated into public spaces, allowing people from all walks of life to engage with design in an open and inclusive setting.
“At KPKT, we strive to create liveable and, most important, lovable communities.
“We want to build urban environments that are not only economically vibrant but also economically resilient, culturally expressive, and socially inclusive,” he said.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Federal Territories minister said she will no longer convene Kuala Lumpur’s Special One Stop Centre (OSC) and will seek Cabinet approval to abolish the body, saying it could create room for interference or the perception of interference in development decisions.
In a statement today, Hannah Yeoh said the move forms part of the government’s broader governance reform agenda aimed at strengthening integrity and transparency in Kuala Lumpur’s urban planning system.
The decision follows recommendations by Project Capital, a special task force under the Policy Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister (PMAC), which was tasked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with reviewing governance challenges in the federal capital.
According to the task force’s report, the Special OSC had the potential to become a channel for intervention in the development approval process.
“The Madani Government cannot defend any structure that creates room for interference or the perception that a decision can be influenced by factors other than legitimate laws and planning policies,” Yeoh said.
“That is why we want to return to a clear principle: follow the Local Plan, follow the law and follow a transparent process.”
Yeoh said she had decided not to convene the Special OSC for as long as she remains Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), while also proposing that the Cabinet consider formally abolishing the mechanism in line with Project Capital’s recommendations.
The minister said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had already introduced measures aimed at improving transparency and accountability in planning approvals.
These include a dedicated OSC portal that allows stakeholders and members of the public to monitor development applications currently being processed.
Yeoh said DBKL had also streamlined its internal procedures to ensure that applications are assessed based on the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040.
Under the revised process, development applications that fully comply with stipulated requirements can be approved in as little as 21 days.
For more complex proposals requiring further consideration, consultations with government agencies, departments, organisations and other stakeholders will continue under existing planning regulations.
Yeoh also stressed that urban planning decisions should remain in the hands of qualified officials rather than be subject to external influence.
“Every development decision needs to be made by experienced officers based on assessments of technical documents, comments from relevant departments and the approved Kuala Lumpur Local Plan,” she said.
“Urban planning decisions must be made based on facts, policy and law, not influenced by any party.”
She said abolishing the Special OSC would remove unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, speed up decision-making and provide clearer accountability within DBKL’s administration.
Yeoh also thanked Anwar for establishing Project Capital, saying its recommendations reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening governance, improving accountability and carrying out institutional reforms for Kuala Lumpur’s future.
IPOH, June 6 — A man with mental disabilities who was reported missing after leaving his home in Simpang 4, Anak Kurau, near Batu Kurau last Sunday was found dead in a plantation area near Teratak Afrina Chalet today.
Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the department received an emergency call on the discovery of the body of Zakaria Shamsudin, 42, at 12.19 pm.
He said firefighters found the body about 500 metres from where the fire engine was stationed, and police later confirmed it was Zakaria, who had been reported missing nearly a week ago.
“The victim’s body was handed over to the police for further action,” he said in a statement today.
On June 1, Zakaria was reported missing after leaving his home at about 4 pm. He was last seen walking with his stepson towards a bush area about 300 metres from the house before disappearing when the boy stopped to tie his shoelaces. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Newly-formed independent mixed doubles pair Hoo Pang Ron-Lai Pei Jing finally put an end to their recent first-round woes after progressing to the second round of the Indonesia Open at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, today.
The duo produced a commanding performance to defeat home pair Marwan Faza-Aisyah Salsabila Putri Pranata 21-17, 21-9 in just 31 minutes.
The victory marked a welcome turnaround for Pang Ron-Pei Jing, who had endured back-to-back first-round exits at the Malaysia Masters and Singapore Open, last month.
In the second round of the prestigious Super 1000 tournament, Pang Ron-Pei Jing will face a stern test against world number three pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Supissara Paewsampran of Thailand.
The Thai duo booked their place in the last 16 after edging Japan’s Yuichi Shimogami-Sayaka Hobara 23-21, 19-21, 21-19 in a hard-fought first-round match.
Malaysia’s challenge will continue with several other representatives set to begin their campaigns, including top men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and women’s doubles duo Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah later today.
Yesterday, national men’s singles Leong Jun Hao advanced to the second round after upsetting Japan’s world number 11 Kodai Naraoka 21-17, 21-17, while men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also progressed after defeating Singapore’s Wesley Koh Eng Keat-Junsuke Kubo 21-17, 21-16. — Bernama
IPOH, June 12 — Police have arrested a 30-year-old man suspected of raping his ex-girlfriend and the subsequent killing of her most recent partner in Perak Tengah.
Perak police chief Commissioner Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the suspect was detained at the Perlis Sentral Bus Terminal in Kangar at about 3.45pm yesterday following intelligence leads, The Star reported today.
“The rape and murder case has been solved with the arrest,” Alwi was quoted as saying.
He added that the suspect has been remanded under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code, with investigations ongoing under Sections 302 and 376 of the Penal Code.
Section 302 is for murder while Section 376 is for rape and sexual assault.
Investigators believe the suspect had raped his ex-girlfriend, 25, after they met near a paddy field along Jalan Trans Perak here on June 9.
The woman later returned home, before her 29-year-old partner confronted the suspect early the next morning.
A confrontation ensued after the 29-year-old allegedly rammed the suspect’s vehicle during a car chase along Jalan Trans Perak.
According to Alwi, the suspect then stabbed the 29-year-old in the abdomen after both exited their vehicles, before fleeing the scene in the victim’s car.
The 29-year-old man was later found unconscious and pronounced dead at a clinic in Kampung Gajah.
Police also recovered a knife believed to have been used in the attack, which was discarded in a dustbin in Kangar.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — A 25-year-old factory worker has been fined RM2,800 by the Magistrates’ Court in Ayer Keroh in Melaka after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing explicit videos involving her former husband and another woman.
According to The Star, Magistrate Nur Afiqah Radhiah Zainurin imposed the fine after the accused entered a guilty plea.
The charge stated that the woman was found in possession of obscene videos and images stored on a mobile phone.
The offence was committed along Jalan Ayer Keroh Lama in the Melaka Tengah district on January 11.
Based on the facts of the case, the complainant reportedly received a video from her sister in December last year.
The video was sent via a telephone number believed to belong to the former wife of a man known to the complainant.
It allegedly showed the complainant engaged in sexual activity with the accused’s former husband and was said to have been recorded without her knowledge or consent.
A police report was later lodged by the complainant, who said she was aggrieved by the distribution of the recording.
The charge was framed under Section 292 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Siti Nur Alia Safri urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, saying the offence involved obscene material depicting identifiable individuals and breached both the law and the victims’ privacy and dignity.
The accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for leniency, telling the court she was emotionally distressed at the time as she had suffered a miscarriage.
The court fined her RM2,800, in default six months’ imprisonment.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — A man was found dead inside a vacant two-storey building on Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar in Ipoh, Perak, on Tuesday.
According to The Star, Perak Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the discovery was made after police requested assistance to gain entry into the locked premises at about 1.25pm.
He said a team from the Ipoh Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene six minutes later and found the building’s entrance secured with a locked metal grille.
Firefighters then used a power saw to cut through the grille before entering the building.
Sabarodzi said that upon entering the premises, they found a man on the first floor.
The victim was later pronounced dead at the scene by police.
The body was subsequently handed over to the authorities for further action.
The operation, involving six firefighters and five police personnel, ended at 1.55pm.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — A Malaysian Survey and Mapping Department (JUPEM) personnel, Donysius Gabriel Goh, who died while on duty at the Malaysia–Brunei border in March this year, has been posthumously awarded the Bintang Jasa Perkasa Persekutuan (JPP) in recognition of his service and contributions.
According to the official list of recipients for the 2026 federal awards, medals and honours in conjunction with the Official Birthday of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, the late Donysius is the sole recipient of the honour.
The JPP is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery and courage outside the battlefield.
Based on the Ceremonial and International Conference Secretariat Division (BIUPA) portal of the Prime Minister’s Department, JPP recipients are entitled to a monthly allowance of RM1,000. In the case of posthumous recipients, the allowance is paid as a lump sum of RM10,000 to the next of kin.
On March 17 this year, Donysius, 36, who served as an H1 General Services Assistant at the Miri Regional Topography Office in Sarawak, was reported missing after being swept away by strong currents while crossing a river in the Ulu Temburong area, Lawas, during a border survey operation with five other colleagues.
His body was later discovered about 500 metres from the last known location by a search and rescue team on March 25.
A total of 161 individuals were conferred federal honours in conjunction with this year’s official birthday celebration of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. The investiture ceremony was held at Istana Negara today. — Bernama
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