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Daily Express
11 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Debt reduction key to investor confidence, says Anwar
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Anne Muhammad, FMT Reporters Text Size: Putrajaya brought the deficit down from 5.5% in 2022 to 5% in 2023, and 4.1% last year. PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated the government's commitment to gradually reducing the national debt while ensuring continued development and investor confidence. Speaking at the finance ministry's monthly assembly in Putrajaya, Anwar said continuous efforts had been made since 2022 to bring down the country's fiscal deficit from 5.5% to the latest projection of 3.8% this year. Advertisement 'Some people ask why we are so focused on reducing it. They say we should just give more to the people. But without this effort, there will be no (investor) confidence,' he said. Anwar, who is also finance minister, added that investor confidence would translate to investments, which could help raise the national revenue, provide job opportunities, and contribute to the nation's overall development. Putrajaya brought the deficit down from 5.5% in 2022 to 5% in 2023, and 4.1% last year. The Treasury had said this would slow the growth of the national debt with a drop in new government borrowings each year, from nearly RM100 billion in 2022 to RM92.6 billion in 2023, and around RM77 billion last year. Advertisement Anwar also dismissed claims that the government's debt reduction efforts had compromised public welfare, saying the approach should be seen as a long-term strategy. 'Since we took over, the debt has been reduced by RM20 billion. 'It's like someone inheriting a company after his father passes away. The company owes RM50,000. The son can't be expected to settle the debt in a year – it has to be done in stages,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Prisons department was okay with Najib filing report, says Shafee
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Faisal Asyraf, FMT Text Size: Lawyer Shafee Abdullah said the prisons department needed permission from the home minister for Najib Razak to file a police report in person. Kuala Lumpur: Najib Razak's lawyer claims that the prisons department would have allowed the former prime minister to file a police report over the royal addendum issue if home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had given permission. However, Shafee Abdullah said that multiple letters for permission from the minister went unanswered, forcing him to help lodge the report on behalf of his client. Advertisement 'The prison authorities are generous, they had no objections to Najib filing a report himself. Unfortunately, they needed permission from their superior, which is the home minister. 'We wrote to him multiple times but there was no reply,' he told a press conference at the lobby of the court complex here today. Earlier this week, Shafee lodged a police report against former attorney-general Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh for allegedly 'deliberately misleading' the High Court that the royal addendum was speculative and based on hearsay evidence. He lodged the report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters. Advertisement Shafee claimed that Terrirudin had committed an offence under Section 209 of the Penal Code, which relates to dishonestly making a false claim before a court. He also accused the ex-AG of committing an offence under Section 204 of the Penal Code by hiding a document with the intention of preventing it from being used as evidence in court. Last month, Najib filed an application to initiate contempt proceedings against Terrirudin, who is now a Federal Court judge. His legal team claimed that Terrirudin, while serving as the AG, failed to reveal the former king's royal addendum allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his jail sentence under house arrest. During a hearing in January, Shafee told the Court of Appeal that the addendum was sent by the Pahang palace to Terrirudin on Jan 29, 2024. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
12 hours ago
- Daily Express
Widower jailed 2 years for soliciting sex from teen daughter
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: The self-employed man pleaded guilty after the charge was read before Muar sessions court judge Sayani Nor. (File pic) PETALING JAYA: A 47-year-old widower has been sentenced to two years in jail and two strokes of the rotan for inviting his teenage daughter to engage in sexual acts. The self-employed man pleaded guilty after the charge was read before Muar sessions court judge Sayani Nor, Harian Metro reported. Advertisement He was charged with sexually communicating with his 14-year-old daughter, his only child, at a house in Batu Pahat, Johor, at around 4pm on June 16. The charge was framed under Section 11(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable by a maximum three years in jail upon conviction. The charge was also read with Section 16 of the same Act, which provided for an additional sentence of up to five years and two strokes of the rotan due to the relationship of trust between him and the victim. Deputy public prosecutor Diyana Najihah Fauzi prosecuted while the man was unrepresented. Advertisement According to the case facts, the victim contacted her aunt earlier this month to express fears that her father might act inappropriately towards her. On the day of the incident, the girl had rejected her father's advances and left his bedroom. The aunt then asked one of her children to pick the girl up from the house. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
12 hours ago
- Daily Express
Man claims trial to making offensive FB comments on Nurul Izzah
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Ruslan Mat Ali at the Sepang sessions court today. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: A 48-year-old man claimed trial in the Sepang sessions court today to 11 charges of making offensive comments on Facebook against former MP Nurul Izzah Anwar earlier this year. Ruslan Mat Ali, a father of three, pleaded not guilty before judge Ahmad Fuad Othman after the charges were read, Harian Metro reported. Advertisement In making his plea, he claimed he had dropped his handphone while fishing and had no idea how the Facebook comments were made. He was accused of knowingly using his Facebook account to send offensive comments against Nurul Izzah with the intention of annoying others. He was charged with committing the offences between Jan 2 and Feb 26. The charges were framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act, punishable by a maximum RM50,000 fine, up to one year's imprisonment, or both, upon conviction. Advertisement Deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab asked the court to fix bail at RM15,000. However, Ruslan, who was unrepresented, sought a lower bail amount, saying he had no income, was divorced, and had to look after three children. The judge granted bail of RM10,000 and fixed July 18 for mention. Ruslan failed to post bail and was placed under remand until the next court date. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
12 hours ago
- Daily Express
Delivery driver jailed for cheating bank into funding iPhone purchase
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Ho Kit Yen, FMT Reporters Text Size: The Kuala Lumpur magistrates' court convicted Salman Abdullah of conspiring with a woman to deceive a bank officer into approving a loan for RM8,329. Kuala Lumpur: A delivery driver has been sentenced to one year in prison by the magistrates' court for conspiring with an accomplice to defraud a bank into approving a micro loan to purchase a phone. Magistrate Illi Marisqa Khalizan also sentenced Salman Abdullah to one stroke of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code involving cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property. Advertisement She also ordered that his jail sentence begin immediately. The offence took place on Feb 1 at the bank's Jalan Peel branch, where Salman conspired with a 32-year-old woman to deceive a bank officer into approving a loan for RM8,329 for the purchase of an iPhone 16 Pro. Salman admitted to submitting falsified identity card details and forged payslips as supporting documents. Earlier, lawyer Edwin Tomas from the National Legal Aid Foundation told the court that Salman was remorseful of his action. Advertisement He said Salman is currently serving jail time for another offence in Kajang prison. Deputy public prosecutor Syafika Azwa Fikri urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
