KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has advised newly appointed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman to carry out his duties with the highest level of integrity.

According to a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar's Facebook page, His Majesty stressed that efforts to combat corruption must be pursued continuously, firmly and without fear or favour to safeguard integrity and uphold the rule of law.

The advice was given when Abdul Halim was granted an audience with the King at Istana Negara today.

On April 25, the King consented to Abdul Halim's appointment as the new MACC chief commissioner, effective May 13. The former High Court judge succeeded Tan Sri Azam Baki in the role. — Bernama

Hong Kong authorities recorded 40 online sexual grooming cases targeting minors in the first four months of this year, the city’s security chief has said, as the government mulls a legal revamp.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said on Wednesday that police logged 100 such cases in 2025, while a total of 2,156 child sexual abuse cases were recorded over the past three years.

Since last year, the police force has begun tallying figures related to online child sexual grooming, the minister said in a written reply to enquiries by lawmaker Elizabeth Quat.

Online child sexual grooming refers to cases whereby adults befriend children through the internet, typically via social media, online games, or messaging applications, to sexually abuse them.

The government also aims to propose legislative amendments to the city’s sex offence laws this year, Tang said.

“The exercise aims to review and improve the laws on sexual offences in Hong Kong in a comprehensive manner, which includes enhancing the legal protection to children,” Tang said, without elaborating further.

The proposals will be based on two reports published by the Law Reform Commission in 2019 and 2022, which outlined a raft of recommendations to improve the city’s sexual offence laws, he said.

Authorities plan to consult lawmakers and the public on the proposals in the second half of this year and hope to complete the legislative amendments by the end of June next year, when the term of the current administration concludes, he added.

A new set of recommendations for minors regarding the proper use of electronic devices and social media is expected to be ready this year, Tang said.

The Advisory Group on Health Effects of Screen and Social Media Use for Children and Adolescents, established in October, is reviewing scientific evidence and overseas experience and engaging with experts on the matter.

The updated health recommendations are expected to be released this year, he added.

Tang vowed that Hong Kong police would continue to combat crimes relating to online child sexual abuse material through cooperation with other jurisdictions.

Last month, the force arrested nine men in a joint operation with law enforcement in six other jurisdictions targeting online child sexual abuse material.

At a press conference last month, police psychologist Michael Fung warned of the pervasiveness of online sexual grooming of minors, citing a survey conducted by the force and two universities in the city.

The survey said 15 per cent of respondents admitted to having consumed child sexual abuse material on the internet, Fung said, but added the figure represented only “the tip of the iceberg.”

SEREMBAN, June 4 — The Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly, which has 36 seats, will be officially dissolved tomorrow to pave the way for the upcoming State Election (PRN).

The announcement was made by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun during a special press conference at his official residence here tonight, bringing an end to weeks of speculation surrounding the timing of the assembly’s dissolution.

Aminuddin said the dissolution was carried out after obtaining the consent of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, during an audience at Istana Besar Seri Menanti earlier today. — Bernama

Manuel Gual posted a photo:

Madrid 1974: A Retro Spy Comedy Through the Secret Files of a Chaotic Bureaucracy

Description

A cinematic retro series set in a fictional 1974 Madrid, blending spy comedy, bureaucratic absurdity, street chases, secret archives, analog surveillance and vintage Spanish urban life. The images recreate a world of confidential folders, smoky offices, rotary telephones, typewriters, old taxis, crowded markets, railway stations, rooftop antennas, hidden laboratories, newspaper presses and suspicious government corridors. The atmosphere feels like a lost espionage farce from the seventies: serious men in ill fitting suits, anxious messengers, improvised agents, comic confusion, urgent missions and a constant sense that every secret operation is seconds away from becoming a public disaster.

The collection moves between interior and exterior scenes with strong narrative continuity: intelligence offices full of papers, tense investigations, chaotic pursuits through Madrid streets, undercover activity in cafés and markets, and surreal technical experiments in improvised laboratories. Its visual language combines photorealistic period detail with comic exaggeration, creating a nostalgic but dynamic tribute to classic European spy parody, Spanish popular culture and analog detective fiction.

These images have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — The Election Commission (EC) has received official notification of the dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly today. 

EC chairman Datuk Seri Ramlan Harun said the commission received a letter from Negeri Sembilan State Assembly Speaker Datuk M K Ibrahim Abd Rahman notifying it of the dissolution of the 15th State Legislative Assembly under Article 56(2) of the state constitution.

He said Article 56(4) of the state constitution requires a state election to be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the assembly.

“Accordingly, a special meeting to discuss the key dates for the Negeri Sembilan state election will be held on a date to be announced later,” he said in a statement today.

Last night, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun announced at a special press conference at his official residence that the state assembly had been dissolved effective today to pave the way for the 16th state election.

Aminuddin said the dissolution followed the consent of the Yang Dipertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, during an audience at Istana Besar Seri Menanti. — Bernama

KUALA NERUS, June 6 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today launched MACCAMPUS, a digital platform incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification to strengthen integrity education and anti-corruption awareness among tertiary students.

MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said the initiative reflects their commitment to engaging university students in enhancing integrity education, corruption prevention and positive values through smartphones and information technology applications.

“To ensure MACC remains capable of engaging university students consistently and effectively, it requires a more innovative, interactive and technology-driven educational approach,” he said when speaking at the Integrity Financial Literacy @ Student Anti-Corruption Programme 2026 at Dewan Sultan Mizan, UMT, here. 

He said MACCAMPUS would serve as a digital hub for students involved in anti-corruption initiatives, particularly members of the Student Anti-Corruption Force (AMAR), while facilitating collaboration among participants from more than 120 higher learning institutions. 

In addition, the application also features comprehensive learning modules with academic collaboration platforms and student networking functions, while could be expanded to support competitions, mini projects, academic forums, as well as the sharing of ideas and research among students nationwide.

Being the first anti-corruption and integrity education application of its kind to be developed by MACC, MACCAMPUS has the potential to become a technology and intellectual-based platform that integrates education, simulation, gamification, artificial intelligence and academic collaboration.

Through the application, students are expected to become more knowledgeable, confident in making ethical decisions and capable of serving as agents of change who drive a culture of integrity on campuses and in society.

Abd Halim said all university students should make full use of this application to share ideas, reflect and engage in scholarly discourse through its modules, forums and academic discussions. 

"This is your space to debate constructively, challenge the status quo with sound arguments and distinguish between facts and propaganda that may distort thinking," he said.

Also present at the programme were UMT Pro-Chancellor and Employees Provident Fund Board Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and UMT Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Zamri Ibrahim. — Bernama

JOHOR BAHRU, June 2 — Official notification of the dissolution of the Johor State Legislative Assembly (DUN) was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) today, confirmed Johor State Assembly Speaker Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

The notice was submitted to formally inform the EC of the dissolution of the Johor State Assembly, which received the consent of Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail on June 1.

The EC had previously announced that it would convene a special meeting to discuss key dates for the Johor state election as soon as it received official notification of the assembly’s dissolution from the Speaker.

The meeting is expected to determine important dates for the state election, including nomination day, the campaign period and polling day.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced the dissolution of the state assembly yesterday after receiving the consent of the Johor Regent.

The state election must be held within 60 days from the effective date of the dissolution. — Bernama

PUTRAJAYA, June 8 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman, has required all agency personnel to submit or update their asset declarations within one month of receiving an official notification, which will be issued at a later date.

He said the directive was among the first measures introduced under his leadership to strengthen the agency’s integrity and rebuild public confidence in the MACC as an independent, professional and impartial institution.

“To spearhead efforts to build and maintain public trust, I am directing all MACC officers to submit their asset declarations within a month from the date the official notification is issued.

“In line with that commitment, I will personally be the first to undertake the asset declaration process, InsyaAllah,” he said during his first address at the MACC monthly gathering here today.

He also emphasised that the MACC would not yield to pressure from any source, whether public sentiment, media scrutiny or political influence.

“Justice and the rule of law, applied without exception or compromise, are principles we will uphold. Integrity must go beyond rhetoric and pledges; it must be demonstrated through confidential decision-making and fearless investigations,” he said.

He also cautioned MACC personnel against damaging the organisation’s reputation through any wrongdoing, saying that even a small act of misconduct can taint the integrity of the entire institution.

He also emphasised that MACC staff should embody two core values, namely strength and trustworthiness, as highlighted in Surah Al-Qasas (the 28th chapter of the Quran).

He said strength relates to capability and expertise in carrying out tasks, while trustworthiness embodies honesty, which is central to the public service ethos, adding that the combination of the two qualities will ensure that the MACC continues to be respected as a key pillar in safeguarding the nation’s integrity.

Abd Halim also urged MACC personnel to shun arrogance and ego in the course of their duties, stressing that their conduct is always under public scrutiny.

He further emphasised that justice cannot be compromised, and that genuine integrity is measured by the ability to resist interference or undue influence from vested interests. — Bernama

Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has announced that it is considering criminalising bid-rigging, proposing a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.

Barrister Jat Sew-tong, chairperson of the Competition Commission, announced on Friday plans to amend the Competition Ordinance to criminalise bid-rigging, local media reported.

The commission hopes to table the amendment by the end of this year, Jat said, adding that the proposed maximum penalty would be seven years in jail.

Under the Competition Ordinance, bid-rigging is currently a civil violation, not a criminal offence, and it is penalised with a fine.

Jat said that he had been discussing the proposal with the city’s leader John Lee and the Hong Kong Bar Association, NowTV reported.

He said Lee had conveyed “orders” or “expectations” but did not specify what.

The commission’s move comes after a deadly fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court, a residential estate in Tai Po, in November. The estate was undergoing a large-scale renovation at the time of the fire.

The blaze, which claimed 168 lives, has brought to light the widespread issue of bid-rigging and corruption in major maintenance works at residential buildings.

Residents told HKFP in February that they had suspected graft and bid-rigging in the renovation project, and had attempted to report it to authorities without any success.

Jat also said on Friday that investigations by the Competition Commission revealed triads were involved in rigging bids for many large-scale maintenance projects.

However, due to the Competition Ordinance’s limitations, the commission cannot prosecute the cases and has to transfer them to law enforcement departments.

The Competition Commission is a statutory body established under the Competition Ordinance in 2012.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said in February that the city’s corruption watchdog had received multiple complaints involving bid-rigging in building maintenance works over the past five years.

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) received 24 complaints in 2025, more than double the number in 2021, Linn said.