Connect with us

Published

on

KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday said he has ordered security forces to be alert against those stirring up racial and religious rhetoric, ahead of a Malay nationalist convention on Sunday to be attended by former premier and opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Any attempt made by anyone to pit one race against another, or to increase the racial and religious temperature in this country will not be permitted, Datuk Seri Anwar told a press conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting at his office in Putrajaya.

I have ordered security forces to be on alert because those who are desperate or feel challenged will use these sentiments, and the poor will be paid to cause chaos, he said, without mentioning who, or what groups, he was referring to.

The Malay Proclamation convention will be held at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, with speakers including Tun DrMahathir expected to raise issues regarding the Malay community.

Mr Anwars government, led by his multiracial Pakatan Harapan coalition, is opposed in Parliament by a Malay-Muslim alliance, Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Responding to Mr Anwars remarks, the police said on Friday that they will clamp down on any ethnic rhetoric that endangers the national security of the country.

The current security level is under control and the police are giving a commitment to ensure law enforcement is performed properly to ensure safety is guaranteed, the police said in a statement.

Dr Mahathir, about two weeks ago in Twitter posts, made controversial claims that the Malays, who form more than 60 per cent of the population, did not benefit from Malaysias multi-ethnic make-up.

The business sector of Malaysia is dominated by the Chinese. Non-Chinese cannot find good jobs there. If the government does not take Malays, they will be jobless, he wrote.

BowerGroupAsia senior analyst Arinah Najwa told The Straits Times that the discussion around race is still important among Malaysians.

The Malay Proclamation event can be seen to embolden more staunch Malay groups who feel they are not adequately represented under a multi-racial Anwar government, she said.

There are two types of parties, one that will flare up racial issues because they feel like any exposure to other races would be a threat to their own. But there are also those that feel exposure to difference races can help to build understanding and diversity, Ms Arina added.

There have also been several recent incidents that have spiked ethnic tensions, including a police report lodged by a member of PN this week accusing Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh of spearheading a Christian evangelist movement and bringing Muslim youth to visit a church as part of the ministrys programme.

The incident led Selangor executive councillor for religious affairs Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, who is from Mr Anwars party, to say that Muslims are banned from attending events at non-Muslim houses of worship in the state. More On This Topic Malaysias opposition raises spectre of another government collapse Malaysias ex-PM Muhyiddin unlikely to lose ground staying on as party chief amid graft charges Ms Yeoh slammed PN for using her as a punching bag, saying the youth programme, which also had visits to a mosque and a gurdwara, was meant to foster harmony.

She said the opposition wanted to divert attention from its chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is facing multiple graft charges.

On Thursday, cars owned by film director Khairi Anwar Jailani and screenwriter Arjun Thanaraju were splashed with paint and acid, following controversy over their movie Mentega Terbang (Flying Butter), which some Muslims found offensive with some parts deemed to be questioning the Islamic faith.

There were death threats left on the cars by the perpetrators. Mentega Terbang dont challenge Islam,said one note.

For now, said Vriens & Partners Malaysia senior analyst Halmie Azrie Abdul Halim, ethnic rhetoric is being played up as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan is just round the corner.

Muslims will start fasting next Thursday.

When people are more focused on observing religious obligations, Malay politicians would likely play these tactics to make it more relatable to people. In the sacred month, anything that is perceived as anti-Islam or anti-Malay would be a selling point. This gives a politician an opportunity to be a hero, he added. More On This Topic Even with Umno alliance, Pakatan Harapan battles to win Malay votes in crucial state polls No cross-dressing, blackout dates among stricter rules mooted for concerts in Malaysia

Continue Reading

World

Driver hits several people on French holiday island of Ile d’Oleron

Published

on

By

Driver hits several people on French holiday island of Ile d'Oleron

A driver has knocked down several people on the French island of Ile d’Oleron.

Two people are in intensive care following the incident and a man has been arrested, French interior minister Laurent Nunez said.

Several others were injured after the motorist struck pedestrians and cyclists, he added.

Thibault Brechkoff, the mayor of Dolus-d’Oleron, told BFMTV the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for God is Greatest) when he was detained.

Arnaud Laraize, the public prosecutor in La Rochelle, told the Sud Ouest newspaper the 35-year-old suspect “resisted arrest” and was “subdued using a stun gun”.

He said the suspect was known for minor offences such as theft, adding he was not on a list of people considered a threat to national security.

Pedestrians and cyclists were hit on a road between Dolus d’Oleron and Saint-Pierre d’Oleron, he added.

Follow the World
Follow the World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Police were alerted, with the first calls made at around 9am, according to French media reports.

Mr Nunez said in a post on X that he was heading to the scene at the request of the French prime minister.

Continue Reading

World

Aerial images show destruction of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Philippines – with at least 66 killed

Published

on

By

Aerial images show destruction of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Philippines - with at least 66 killed

At least 66 people have died after Typhoon Kalmaegi struck the Philippines, as footage emerges showing the scale of destruction.

A further 26 people have been reported missing, half of them in Cebu, where floods and mudslides killed at least 49 people, the Office of Civil Defence said.

Six crew members of a military helicopter were also killed when it crashed on the island of Mindanao, where it was carrying out a humanitarian disaster response mission, according to the military.

The powerful storm, locally named Tino, made landfall early on Tuesday and lashed the country with sustained winds of 87mph and gusts of up to 121mph.

Drone footage shows wrecked homes after heavy flooding in Cebu province. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Drone footage shows wrecked homes after heavy flooding in Cebu province. Pic: Reuters

Some communities have been wiped out. Pic: AP
Image:
Some communities have been wiped out. Pic: AP

‘State of calamity’ in Cebu

Several people were trapped on their roofs by floodwaters in the coastal town of Liloan in Cebu, said Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the Philippine Red Cross.

She said in the city of Mandaune, also in Cebu, floodwaters were “up to the level of heads of people”, adding that several cars were submerged in floods or floated in another community in Cebu.

Cebu, a province of more than 2.4 million people, was still recovering from a 6.9 magnitude earthquake on 30 September, which left at least 79 people dead.

A state of calamity has been declared in the province to allow authorities to disburse emergency funds more rapidly.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Entire towns flooded in the Philippines after typhoon

Damaged vehicles after flooding in Cebu City. Pic: AP
Image:
Damaged vehicles after flooding in Cebu City. Pic: AP

Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

Fierce winds either ripped off roofs or damaged around 300 mostly rural shanties on the island community of Homonhon in Eastern Samar, but there were no reported deaths or injuries, mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan said.

“There was no flooding at all, but just strong wind,” she said. “We’re okay. We’ll make this through. We’ve been through a lot, and bigger than this.”

Read more from Sky News:
Zohran Mamdani: ‘Trump’s worst nightmare’
Former US vice president dies

Red Cross staff rescue people and dogs. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Red Cross staff rescue people and dogs. Pic: Reuters

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

Hnndreds of thousands evacuated

Before Kalmaegi’s landfall, officials said more than 387,000 people had been evacuated to safer ground in eastern and central Philippine provinces.

The combination of Kalmaegi and a shear line brought heavy rains and strong winds across the Visayas and nearby areas, state weather agency PAGASA said.

A shear line is the boundary between two different air masses such as warm and cold air.

Pic: AP
Image:
Pic: AP

A boy with a goldfish he caught after a nearby fish farm flooded. Pic: AP
Image:
A boy with a goldfish he caught after a nearby fish farm flooded. Pic: AP

Vietnam gears up for storm

The Vietnamese government has said it was preparing for the worst-case scenario as it braced for the impact of Kalmaegi.

The typhoon is forecast to reach Vietnam’s coasts on Friday morning. Several areas have already suffered heavy flooding over the last week, leaving at least 40 people.

Kalmaegi hit the Philippines as it continues to recover from several disasters, including earthquakes and severe weather over recent months.

Around 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines each year, and the country is also often struck by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes.

Continue Reading

Environment

Royal Enfield unveils Flying Flea S6 scrambler-style electric motorcycle built for urban adventure

Published

on

By

Royal Enfield unveils Flying Flea S6 scrambler-style electric motorcycle built for urban adventure

Royal Enfield’s new electric motorcycle brand, Flying Flea, just pulled the wraps off its second model – the scrambler-inspired FF.S6 – at EICMA 2025, and it’s an agile, tech-packed machine that brings serious trail-ready vibes to city streets.

Inspired by the iconic 1940s Flying Flea motorcycle (which was literally parachuted into battle, hence the logo), the FF.S6 is a modern reimagining with off-road chops and futuristic tech. Royan Enfield assures us that this is a far cry from an average urban electric motorcycle. Instead, it’s a lightweight, connected, and capable machine that blends classic scrambler style with serious smart features.

Built on a lightweight frame with staggered 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, a USD front fork, and chain final drive, the FF.S6 is ready for both tight urban corners and loose gravel backroads. A high-torque electric motor paired with a magnesium finned battery case keeps weight low while enhancing cooling, and the long enduro-style seat offers comfort for longer rides.

Tech-wise, the FF.S6 goes way beyond what you’d expect from a typical commuter. A circular high-res touchscreen display nods to the original Flying Flea while delivering fully connected features, including lean-angle sensing ABS, traction control, off-road mode, and built-in navigation. Voice Assist lets riders launch music or maps hands-free through their phone, and OTA updates ensure the bike gets smarter over time.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The system is powered by a Snapdragon QWM2290 processor, the same class of chip you’d find in advanced smartphones. Riders can use a smartwatch or phone app to manage everything from keyless start to charging status and diagnostics.

Production of the FF.S6 is expected to begin by the end of 2026.

Electrek’s Take

Sure, this is largely just an experiment in applying some mods to the same motorcycle prototype that Royal Enfield showed us last year, but it’s a cool-looking example of it! And while we’re still waiting to see what these bikes will cost (not to mention a few more hard and fast tech specs), I’m glad to see that Royal Enfield’s Flying Flea team is jumping in with bold design and bleeding-edge software. The FF.S6 looks like a scrambler but thinks like a smartphone and rides like an urban bike – likely. And for a new wave of connected urban riders, that might be the perfect combination.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending