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Daily Express
11 hours ago
- General
- Daily Express
Argus Residence: Celebrating the memories of a former Eurasian ‘enclave' in George Town
Published on: Friday, June 20, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 20, 2025 By: Opalyn Mok, Malay Mail Text Size: The Argus Residence by GTHH is now open for booking. — Picture by Opalyn Mok GEORGE TOWN: Every evening along a short narrow lane, just behind the Assumption Church in George Town, shrieks of laughter would fill the air as children ran and played. It was a time before there were many cars on the roads and that narrow lane was a playground for the children living in the row of five terraced houses. Advertisement 'It was like a dead end because the road leads to a narrow back lane so cars didn't come in,' said Stan De Souza. The 86-year-old was one of the children who used to run and play along Argus Lane back when Eurasian families lived in that row of houses. That was between the 1930s to the early 2010s, a period of over 70 years. The five terrace houses, built in 1928 and owned by the Church of the Assumption, were rented to the Eurasian families. Advertisement 'We were like one big family where everyone knew everyone who lived there,' De Souza said. Among those who lived there were the De Souza, Scully, Newman and Cutter families. De Souza, who lived in the first house of the row, said his parents lived there from the 1940s. 'We went through World War II here, watched the bombs drop, hid in our homes,' he said. He remembered going to school at the nearby St Xavier's Institution before it was bombed during the war. 'After that, school was in a small attap house next to Convent Light Street,' he said. He reminisced about going back to study in a newly built St Xavier's Institution when he was in Form Four. 'I came back in January this year, wondering what happened to my childhood home when I met the George Town Heritage Hotels (GTHH) people who were restoring the buildings,' he said. GTHH has leased the row of houses from the church and restoration started last year. Today, Argus Residence is an extension of Seven Terraces Hotel — also a part of GTHH — and they are connected by a back lane. Each of the houses is named after each Eurasian family who lived there; Dragone, Cutter, Newman, Scully and De Souza. According to De Souza, Dragone was his mother's maiden name. 'My mother was Sybil Dragone and she was a teacher at Convent Light Street,' he said. 'I hope to book a weekend in this house one day and bring my siblings and our families to relive our memories growing up here,' he said. The last of the Eurasian residents living there was Ann Cutter who died a few years ago. Her niece, Corinne Cutter, who used to live in one of the houses too, remembered the strong sense of community among those who lived there. 'We used to gather outside and sing Christmas songs during Christmas,' she said. GTHH unveiled the Argus Residence yesterday and invited some of the former residents to visit the newly restored buildings GTHH founder Chris Ong said the residences are decorated in an eclectic Edwardian mid-century style; a mix of modern furnishings and Ong's unique creations. 'We are honoured that the church approached us to restore these buildings,' he said. He said GTHH hoped to also collect stories from the Eurasian community who used to live in these houses. 'We want to honour the memories of those who lived here and tell their stories too,' he said.
Borneo Post
16 hours ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Court grants DNAA to Najib in RM27 mln SRC money laundering case as trial stalled since 2019
Najib is pictured at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex on June 20,2025. — Malay Mail photo KUALA LUMPUR (June 20): Datuk Seri Najib Razak was today granted discharge not amounting to acquittal (DNAA) from his final criminal case involving SRC International Sdn Bhd funds amounting to RM27 million after trial has stalled since 2019. The decision was delivered by High Court Judge K Muniandy during today's hearing on whether to set new trial dates or grant a DNAA as previously applied by the defence. Muniandy said the rule of law was applicable to prevent such a detrimental situation whereby an accused person is saddled which criminal charges with no outcome for an indefinite and indeterminate period. 'The prolonged wait for trial has become a long haul for the accused person, denying him of a timely resolution,' he said. 'This court is also mindful of the prevailing fact that the preferred charges against the accused dates back to the offence being committed in the year 2014, now it is 2025, and the case has not taken off for trial. 'By the virtue of these factors, the most appropriate order is for this court to discharge accused person without acquitting him so they he's not saddle with the charges preferred against him,' he added. With today's DNAA, Najib has only the 1MDB trial still pending. He is currently serving a jail term for the misappropriation of RM42 million in the SRC International funds case. He was also previously acquitted over the removal of key information from the auditor-general's 2016 report on 1MDB; and granted a DNAA in his RM6.6 billion International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) criminal breach of trust case Najib's lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had previously suggested to court to grant his client a DNAA in the interest of justice as trial has been indefinitely postponed since 2019. A DNAA means an accused person can face trial for the same charges in the future if the prosecution decides to reinstate them. — Malay Mail MORE TO COME Najib Razak SRC International Sdn Bhd
Daily Express
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Anwar: Malaysia-US tariff talks ‘going excellent', urges fair deal for Asean too
Published on: Thursday, June 19, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 19, 2025 By: Dhesegaan Bala Krishnan, Malay Mail Text Size: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks during Malaysia Asia-Pacific Roundtable by Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia at Hilton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur June 19, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said that Putrajaya's ongoing negotiations with Washington over unilateral tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump are 'going excellent'. He said two ministers — Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan — held talks with US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick yesterday to advance the tariff negotiations. Advertisement 'I said to them to secure what is fair for Malaysia but also present the case that is best for Asean too,' he said, during his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) at Hilton KL, here, today. Malaysia currently faces a 24 per cent tariff on all goods entering the US, and is seeking to lower the rate to the 10 per cent baseline tariff. Anwar acknowledged the economic strain caused by the tariffs but stressed that Malaysia's bilateral relations with the US remain strong. 'Some of our differences in foreign policies cannot be too exaggerated because our bilateral relations with the US remains strong,' he said. Anwar added that Asean is working to upgrade trade agreements with member states and dialogue partners, as the US tariffs continue to cast a shadow over the region. He also said he was confident that the conclusion of the Digital Economic Framework Agreement (Defa) will help unlock the potential of the region's digital economy. The agreement is to be the world's first region-wide and legally binding agreement on digital economy governance. 'In the face of rising protectionism, we must remind ourselves that trade is not a sideshow to security — it is part of the scaffolding that holds the region together,' he said. 'When trade falters, fractures follow.' Anwar also defended Asean leaders' engagement with the BRICS bloc, saying it should not be seen as an anti-Western move but rather a means to tackle shared challenges. BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. 'The recent reinvigoration of BRICS to include members and partner countries from the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and South America, is the very essence of bridging regions,' he said. 'It is an opportunity to build new partnerships and renew old ones,' he added. Malaysia formally applied to join BRICS in July 2024 and was admitted as a partner country in October. Indonesia and Thailand are also partner countries in the alliance. * 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
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- AsiaOne
Malaysia's Klang river clean-up: More than 10 bodies, including infant, discovered since 2022, Malaysia News
Over 10 bodies, including that of an infant, have been discovered in the Klang river in Malaysia during cleanup works since 2022. This work is part of the Selangor government's ongoing Klang River Flood Mitigation Project. Syaiful Azmen Nordin, managing director of Landasan Lumayan, the project's master developer, told The Star that they have been discovering these corpses in the river since they started work in November 2022. He added that the bodies were handed over to the police and fire department for further investigation. Items such as refrigerators, lorry tyres, motorcycles as well as furniture such as beds and sofas were also found in the river, The Star reported. "We could assume they were washed away during the floods, but the numbers are too many," Syaiful said. Describing the current level of pollution as severe and a challenge to the dredging efforts, he told Malay Mail: "I honestly don't understand how a fridge ends up in the river." "There needs to be more civic consciousness and awareness among the public about taking care of our rivers," he added. About 94,000 tonnes of waste has been removed from Klang river to date, with an estimated handling cost of RM20 million (S$6.04 million), reported the New Straits Times. The flood mitigation project under the Selangor Maritime Gateway aims to increase the river capacity by up to 40 per cent, as well as rehabilitating the ecosystem and improving water quality. It has successfully increased the Klang River's water capacity by 18 per cent. [[nid:719206]]
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
MACC chief: Two assemblymen among 3 in Kota Kinabalu to be charged under Op Adun investigation
Azam said the individuals are expected to be charged in the Kota Kinabalu Corruption Court by the end of this month. — Malay Mail photo KOTA KINABALU (June 18): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will charge three individuals, two of whom are state assemblymen, here in connection with the Op Adun investigation, said Tan Sri Azam Baki. The MACC chief commissioner disclosed that the individuals are expected to be charged in the Kota Kinabalu Corruption Court by the end of this month. 'Yes, regarding the case involving the assemblymen, there are two suspects from the assemblymen's side and one civilian who are currently in the process of being arrested and informed of their court appearance date. 'I will keep the date close to my chest for now. I will not reveal it until the process is completed. But rest assured, those individuals will be charged in court within this month, possibly by the end of the month. 'It depends on the date set by the court, because the corruption court in Sabah only has certain available dates, and we are currently trying to obtain one from the court,' he told reporters after officiating at the International Conference on Technology, Management and Sustainability (ICTMS 2025) here today. He said the three suspects are now in the process of being called in for statements to be recorded under caution. When asked about the authenticity of the video related to the case, Azam said he cannot discuss the matter further because it would be sub judice (under judicial consideration and therefore prohibited from public discussion elsewhere). 'I will hand it over to the deputy public prosecutor, who will decide whether to use it as evidence. But rest assured, in our investigation, we did not rely solely on that evidence, regardless of whether it is authentic or not. We also relied on other forms of evidence. 'Testimony is not just based on audiovisual material. It also relies on evidence provided by people, by humans themselves. We need individuals to speak. Machines may provide one form of testimony, but we also need humans to verify the authenticity and contents of the audio or visual recordings. 'This matter is very technical, so I do not wish to go into too much detail. And since the case has already reached a decision, for now, three people will be prosecuted. I do not know about the future, let the DPP decide on that,' he added. Azam Baki Kota Kinabalu corruption court MACC Op Adun
