Editor’s Note: Our previous newsletters contained some errors regarding the Judicial Appointments Commission. This has been rectified in the copy on our website.
Good morning. Here's our news and views that matter for today.
Key Highlights
PN sounds ‘oink’ alarm
A flag-rant debate
‘Shoot ‘em dead’
PN sounds ‘oink’ alarm
Perikatan Nasional is sounding the “oink” alarm over what they say is a pig farm pile-up in the predominantly Malay areas of the Ayer Kuning state constituency.
According to PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad, locals have been trotting up to PN reps with concerns about the porcine proliferation, citing worries about both their noses and their health.
“According to information on the Perak Veterinary Department's website, there are 30 licensed pig farms in the Batang Padang and Mualim districts alone.
“If illegal pig farms are also taken into account, the actual figure (of operational farms) could be significantly higher,” he said.
The Bagan Serai MP added that PN's field observations found “numerous” legal and illegal pig farms in Malay-majority areas, such as Kampung Tanjung Keramat, which has a 98.9 percent Muslim population.
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A flag-rant debate
The nation stands divided. While politicians demand retribution, media and civil society groups argue that a sincere apology for an honest mistake should suffice.
The Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily unwittingly sailed into a storm after publishing an image of a vessel bearing both the Malaysian and Chinese flags to mark the official visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The controversy stemmed from the Jalur Gemilang in the image, which was missing the crescent moon - an omission serious enough to draw the ire of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong himself.
Amid police arrests and the Home Ministry slapping it with a show-cause letter, the daily announced that it has suspended two senior editors over the gaffe. Sin Chew also apologised, issued a corrected version, and pledged procedural reforms, including reviewing its use of AI.
Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin argued that the matter would be better addressed by the Media Council, rather than becoming a police or MCMC case.
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‘Shoot ‘em dead’
A Sabah assemblyperson has suggested that Malaysia take a tougher stance on corruption by emulating China’s harsh approach, which includes executing those found guilty.
Warisan politician Jamil Hamzah proposed this amid an ongoing corruption scandal involving the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state administration.
“Perhaps we can learn from countries that have successfully tackled corruption. One example is China, where those involved in corruption are tembak mati (shot dead),” Jamil told the state assembly.
“Everyone fears death. I believe all of us in this house share that fear. Who is not afraid of death?” added the Bugaya assemblyperson.
Jamil argued that this has proven to be effective in curbing corruption in certain countries.
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Views that matter
 | By Andrew Sia |
 | By Apandi Ali |
 | By JD Lovrenciear |
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