[2] While the allegations against Shamsul remain unproven, the detailed expose contained in the 300-page dossier is shocking to say the least. Shamsul’s resignation, though welcome, will not be enough to satisfy the public that all is well in the highest reaches of the government.

[3] Our nation seems to lurch from one corruption scandal to another. The unfolding scandal in Sabah – a scandal in which federal politicians may also be implicated – has already cast a pall over the nation. It reminds us that the era of scandal and sleaze of the Najib era is far from over, that many of our politicians remain as corrupt and unprincipled as ever, that integrity is almost non-existent in government.

- Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim

COMMENT | Let me be very clear. M Indira Gandhi’s case, like many others, is a form of religious kidnapping.

In 2014, when the case of S Deepa first saw light, former law minister and US ambassador Nazri Aziz said this of the police’s ”mistaken assumption” for not retrieving the kidnapped child:

“It is a civil law marriage; it is the civil court, (and) we must respect the civil court’s ruling. They have the jurisdiction. The High Court judge’s ruling was correct. The police shouldn’t allow him to get away with kidnapping the child.”

Proponents of unilateral conversion have relied on the theme of religious and racial supremacy in support of this agenda and have twisted the Constitution of this country and played up racial and religious sentiments to bolster their arguments.

They have relied on the state security apparatus (which is supposed to be secular) to enforce their will, contrary to the rulings of civil courts, and have had the overt approval of the “social contract” ruling class to carry out this agenda, all while promoting the idea of a “moderate” Islam.

When you convert a child unilaterally to Islam, you are denying that child the right to choose his or her religion. Faith by fiat is what I call it, with the onerous obligation that comes with a state-sanctioned religion.

Nazri, one of the few ministers who attempted to reform this aspect of the law, said this in 2022: “As a Muslim, I am not proud of this. For me, Islam is about being fair. And it’s not fair if one of the parents changes the religion of their child without the other parent’s permission. Don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you.”

Madani, of course, is the worst of all the administrations that have passed the buck on this case for the simple reason that this is a government, albeit a unity government, made up of political operatives who have used this mother when it suited their purposes and abandoned her once in power. 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessing the conversion of a youth in Klang, Selangor, August 2023

Headhunter : This clearly isn’t just about religious fanatics running wild, but rather a definite case of institutional involvement, albeit in a covert manner.

Everyone in Peninsular Malaysia has heard the slogans.

“Malaysia Madani.” “Malaysian Malaysia.” “Anak Cina, anak India, anak saya.” “Bapa Reformasi.” “Bapa Perpaduan.” “Bapa Kemanusiaan Sedunia.”

Beautiful words. Endless speeches. Countless tears on stage.

Yet when you cross the South China Sea, you discover something astonishing: the Malaysia that Anwar Ibrahim and DAP have been promising for decades already exists, quietly, practically, and sincerely, in Sabah and Sarawak.

And the best part? It was built without DAP’s sermons and without Anwar’s poetry.

1. Funding for Non-Muslim Houses of Worship

(Where sincerity beats slogans every time)

Federal Government 2025 (Anwar Ibrahim, 40+ DAP ministers, RM421 billion budget, 32 million people): → RM50 million for all non-Muslim places of worship nationwide That is RM1.56 per non-Muslim Malaysian.

Sabah 2025 (CM Hajiji Noor, population 3.8 million, state budget RM6.4 billion): → RM70 million this year, RM90 million next year More than the entire country combined, from a state labelled “poor.”

Sarawak 2024 (Premier Abang Johari, GPS government): → RM110 million in a single year 2.2 times what the federal government gives to 13 states + 3 federal territories put together.

They are not richer. They are just sincere.

Meanwhile, JAKIM gets RM2.6 billion every year from the same federal budget.

2. Chinese Education and UEC Recognition

(Promises vs Delivery)

Federal PH-DAP government (elected twice with 95–97 % Chinese support): → 15 years of promises, still zero official UEC recognition in 2025.

Sabah: → CM Hajiji Noor (GRS) and previous CM Shafie Apdal (Warisan) openly recognise UEC. → GRS is disbursing RM5 million special scholarship fund this year for UEC students.

Sarawak: → Full state recognition since GPS took power. → Additional millions in annual grants to Chinese independent schools.

Federal government for Chinese and mission schools nationwide (1,300+ schools): RM20 million.

Sabah for its 9 Chinese primary schools alone: RM56.75 million.

Sarawak for Chinese-aided schools alone: RM22 million and rising.

3. Colour-Blind Higher Education Aid

(No race quotas required)

Sarawak: → Bantuan Kewangan Khas (BKK): RM1,200 per year for every Sarawakian student in public universities, regardless of race or religion. → Yayasan Sarawak scholarships and even the China Ambassador Scholarship at UNIMAS are awarded on merit, nothing else.

Sabah: → Rapidly moving toward the same colour-blind policies under GRS.

Federal Malaysia: → RM6 billion every year to MARA, Yayasan Peneraju, and UiTM, institutions that non-Bumiputera students are constitutionally barred from entering.

4. Real Education Reform vs Lowering the Bar

Federal Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek (PKR, backed by DAP): → Abolished UPSR and PMR with no proper replacement, effectively lowering national standards.

Sarawak Premier Abang Johari: → Introduced a Cambridge-standard Dual Language Programme examination for ALL Year 6 students in the state, in partnership with Cambridge University, raising the bar for everyone, regardless of mother tongue.

5. Inclusivity in Everyday Public Space

Kuala Lumpur (DBKL, federal-aligned): → Actively removing Chinese-language signboards.

Sarawak: → Street signs in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, Iban, Bidayuh, and other native languages, proudly promoting tourism and genuine inclusivity.

6. What Leaders Actually Talk About

In Peninsular Malaysia, politicians and the public are still fighting over:

• KK Mart socks
• Halal trolleys
• Dress codes
• Vernacular-school existence
• Bon Odori “danger”

In Sabah and Sarawak, leaders talk about:

Digital infrastructure and high-income jobs

Carbon trading and green energy

Hydrogen economy

Attracting semiconductor and data-centre investments

World-class education

The Most Telling Statistic of All

In Sabah and Sarawak, Chinese votes are statistically almost irrelevant. The governments are overwhelmingly led by Muslim Bumiputera parties (GPS and GRS).

Yet these Muslim-majority state governments deliver more funding, more respect, and more dignity to non-Muslim communities than a federal government that owes its very survival to Chinese votes and has more than 40 DAP MPs.

They don’t do it for votes. They do it because it is the right thing to do.

The Borneo Reality

In Sabah and Sarawak today:

• A Muslim Chief Minister increases church and temple funding faster than any “multiracial” federal government ever has.
• A Kadazan, Iban, Chinese, or Malay child competes on pure merit, and any of them can win state scholarships.
• No one asks your race or religion before helping you.
• As long as you are Sabahan, you are taken care of.
• As long as you are Sarawakian, you are family.

That is the real Malaysia Madani. That is the true Malaysian Malaysia.

It is not a campaign rhetoric. It is everyday life on the island of Borneo.

So Why Do Non-Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak Still Need DAP?

They don’t.

And they certainly don’t need a Prime Minister who wants to be “Bapa Kemanusiaan Sedunia” while giving RM200 million of Malaysian taxpayer money overseas for headlines, yet only RM100 million to MITRA for the development of the Indian community at home.

Let Anwar keep his beautiful slogans and his international photo-ops. Let DAP keep promising the moon from opposition benches for another fifty years.

Sabah and Sarawak have stopped listening.

They are too busy living the Malaysia Madani, building a future where every citizen, regardless of race or religion, is treated as real anak, not as voting tools.

The rest of Malaysia is still stuck fighting over socks and signboards. Borneo has moved on. That is the Borneo way. And it works.

They are linked to the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and even the bloodline of Jesus Christ. They discovered a shocking artifact buried deep beneath the Temple of Solomon and held mankind's greatest secret of all by banding together to protect it for centuries, they are the Knights Templar.

You guys forgot this? Ever willing to be a Dhimmi!!

“It’s a warning that Harapan’s integrity and progressive offering appear unclear and unreliable,” he said, stressing that the defeat should not be dismissed as a regional anomaly.

“This isn’t just a Sabah issue - without real change, a nationwide backlash may follow. Never take urban voters’ support for granted,” the Petaling Jaya MP posted on Facebook.

Veteran 1972 : In urban warfare the enemy always tries to gain a foothold from where to expand from. Guess the intolerant Cancer called PAS, has successfully done that. Unless the Sabahans open their eyes to what's happening in Malaya, this disease will spread to Sabah and probably Sarawak too. The bastions of Malaysia.

Ra1965 : You people have forgotten the mandate given by voters to rule. When got power, forgot to fulfill the promise made. After the election all the'promises' in the manifesto cant be implemented because its only to fool the voters. 

Anwar Ibrahim is the cunninig fellow who are daydreaming with his power. Bapa Palestine only concern abt m but dont care abt non m. Anak india anak saya, anak cina anak saya(before election). After election anak melayu anak saya, anak palestine anak saya. Bukan main. We will teach all the PH parties in coming Ge16 soon. 

PH will be buried forever. Antony Loke now 'hiding' alrdy. Next stop Melaka. Kak Wan cries for votes when campaingning. Now didnt realise the betrayal AI made to the people . God will punish whoever betrayed the people trust. Countdown starts in Sabah. Police, MACC are used by politician to remain in power. 

They should be working for the people. Just look at Albert Tei. Billions was swindled by Malay politician and bissness man and woman. LCS(where), Submarines which until today cant 'dive'. If the USELESS PM serious abt corruption he must establish a special cout only for corruption cases. If USELESS PM remain silent than the same verdict a 'drubbing' for PH in GE16. LOL.LOL.LOL

Whatever happened to Tony Pua, Ronnie Liu, Theresa Kok and so many others? You have replaced them all with "Yes" idiots without cajones! DAP you have turned into Pussy Cats! You have not resolved the murder of Teoh Beng Hock, Altantuya, Pastor Koh and so many others.

In the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17), the people of Sabah delivered a verdict so clear, so decisive, and so thunderous that it has shaken the political foundations of the entire nation. To Anwar Ibrahim, PKR, DAP, and Perikatan Nasional: Listen carefully. Sabah has rejected you. Completely. Categorically. Without mercy.

To PKR: The Party of Reformasi Died in Sabah You preached anti-corruption, meritocracy, and multiculturalism for three decades. But when power came, you sidelined your own reformists like Rafizi Ramli to make way for Nurul Izzah Anwar — the ultimate symbol of nepotism. Result? Out of 12 seats contested, PKR won exactly ONE — and even that victory came from a candidate imported from another party.

The “father-and-daughter” party has been exposed. Sabahans saw through the hypocrisy and buried you. To DAP: Your Fixed Deposit Just Bounced You lost ALL EIGHT seats you contested. Every single one. Even in Luyang — your traditional urban fortress once won by margins of 18,000 votes — Warisan crushed you by more than 6,000.

This is not just a defeat. This is humiliation. You treated non-Malay voters in Sabah like your personal ATM — a guaranteed fixed deposit to be withdrawn every five years while giving nothing in return. When it mattered most, you stayed silent. Passive. Cowardly. Sarawak has recognised UEC. Hajiji Noor has promised recognition if GRS returns. Shafie Apdal has delivered it before.

Yet the federal government with more than 40 DAP ministers? Still deaf. Still dumb. Still zero action after 15 years of promises. Trending Malaysia May Recognise US Halal Certification And Supply Rare Earth Elements Worth RM 1 Trillion To The US.

Today, the loudest defenders of Chinese education in Malaysia are Abang Johari, Hajiji Noor, and Shafie Apdal — none of them Chinese.

Let that sink in. DAP is turning into MCA 2.0 — only with better branding and worse delivery. To Perikatan Nasional: Sabah Muslims Rejected Your Taliban Politics

You contested 41 seats. You won ONE.

Sabah — a state with over 70% Muslim population — just delivered the most devastating rejection of religious extremism and racial politics in modern Malaysian history. Your PAS candidates didn’t even dare whisper about banning alcohol, gambling, concerts, dress codes, or hudud. Why? Because even before polling day, they knew Sabah Muslims would never accept Semenanjung-style Talibanism.

Sabahan Muslims are moderate, tolerant, progressive, and proud. They do not weaponise Islam. They live it with grace. Thank you, Sabah, for showing the nation what true Malaysian Islam looks like.

We Have Tried Everything from the Peninsula — Everything Has Failed 

We gave Barisan Nasional decades → 1MDB, kleptocracy, unimaginable corruption We gave Pakatan Harapan the “Malaysia Baharu” dream → broken promises, nepotism, Sam Sterling, surat sokongan culture We gave Perikatan Nasional a chance → green-wave extremism, racism, economic stagnation, “menantu lari” scandals All three Peninsular experiments have collapsed in disgrace.

Two Malaysias, Two Futures 

Peninsular Malaysia Obsessed with: Imaginary enemies Victim mentality, tongkat culture, dengki politics, brain drain, cave mentality in the heart of KL

Moral policing

Dress codes

Jawi, khat, halal trolleys

Signboard languages

Sabah & Sarawak Talking about:

Carbon trading Green hydrogen Semiconductor investments World-class education Merit-based scholarships English + Mandarin + native languages as assets, not threats Enlarging the pie so everyone eats

Trending Woman In Jalan Masjid India Sinkhole - The Body Could Have Travelled Up To 86.4km Within 24 hours One side is fighting over socks. The other side is building the future.

The Future of Malaysia Now Rests in Borneo Hands 

Sabah and Sarawak, You are the original peoples of this land. Your roots run deeper than anyone else’s. Long before others arrived, you were the guardians of this soil. You have preserved the soul of Malaysia when the peninsula lost its way in racial poison and religious hysteria. You are not just kingmakers anymore. You can be the architects of Malaysia’s rebirth.

The old slogan “Sabah for Sabahans, Sarawak for Sarawakians” served its time. It protected you. It awakened you.

Now it is time for the next chapter:

Borneo for Malaysia.

One day — and that day must come — our Prime Minister will come from Sabah or Sarawak. You have earned that right through maturity, unity, and vision. When that day arrives, the entire nation will breathe a sigh of relief. Because only Borneo still remembers what it truly means to be Malaysian. Terima kasih, Sabah. Thank you, Sarawak. Thank you, Borneo. You are our beacon. You are our last hope. You are our future.

Party of Eunuchs

Malaysiakini brings you updates live.

Mixed results for bigwigs

7.52pm: These are the top big names that have won and lost so far.

Caretaker chief minister Hajiji Noor, who leads GRS, state BN chief Bung Moktar Radin, ex-Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak (BN), and Upko president Ewon Benedick have retained the seats they contested.Those who lost include Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe and his colleague, Chan Foong Hin, a federal deputy minister. 

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Arifin unofficially wins Membakut

7.41pm: Arifin Arif, Sabah governor Musa Aman’s son-in-law, has won in Membakut, according to unofficial results reported by Bernama.

Arifin is among the high-profile individuals whom controversial businessperson Albert Tei implicated in the Sabah mineral mining licence scandal.

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DAP wiped out, PM’s ‘love triangle’ fails to deliver?

7.41pm: DAP has been completely wiped out, losing in all eight seats it contested.

In Kapayan, incumbent Jannie Lasimbang loses to Warisan, according to unofficial results from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

DAP's defeat marks trouble for Pakatan Harapan.

While results for PKR seats are not out yet, it shows that the alliance Harapan chief Anwar Ibrahim brokered to get support from both GRS and BN did not translate into meaningful votes that should have kept Harapan afloat.

Trent also weighs in on the U.S. Catholic Bishops' video condemning President Trump's immigration enforcement. Tune in for biblical clarity on manhood, womanhood, immigration, and everything in between. I attended Holy Mass last night at a college chapel! I could not believe the number of male students in attendance. 

The chapel was full, and some rows were entirely male! It blew my mind to witness this and see them all drop to the floor on their knees in reverence to our Holy Lord! Praise God!! Trent horn was a large influence on my decision to leave Protestantism and go through OCIA to become a Catholic, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Ryan's body was found in a swamp six days after she disappeared from her family home in the Netherlands. She was gagged and her hands were tied behind her back

Ryan Al Najjar's brothers have now been put on trial for her murder, while her father, who is accused of ordering the killing, fled the country to return to Syria. Mohamed, 23, and Muhanad Al Najjar, 25, are charged with taking part in the horrific crime against their 18-year-old sister, whose body was found gagged with her hands bound behind her back, ankles taped together, and submerged in a swamp six days after she vanished from the family home in Joure.  

Their father, Khaled, will be tried in absentia. Ryan disappeared on May 22, 2024. A passerby discovered her body on May 28 in Lelystad, about 25 miles north-east of Amsterdam. Investigators later found DNA belonging to her father under her fingernails, indicating that she had put up a fight. 

Dutch prosecutors say Ryan was murdered because she had a boyfriend, behaved in a way her family considered 'Western,' and had 'shamed' them.  The Public Prosecution Service formally designated her killing as an honour crime.

A court sketch of suspects Mohammed, right, and Muhanad Al Najjar, accused of helping their father kill their sister. The men have insisted their father acted alone

The brothers, whose trial began yesterday, insist they were not involved and say their father carried out the murder alone.  Khaled allegedly sent two emails to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claiming responsibility and saying his sons were innocent. Prosecutors, however, rejected that claim. 

They argue that the father told his sons to collect Ryan, drive her to an isolated location, and throw her into the water while she was gagged and weighed down.  The prosecution says the brothers carried out the plan knowing she would die.

Before her death, Ryan was being monitored by the police and was given protection, but that was ended prior to her murder. It has not been revealed why her protection was discontinued.  Both brothers were arrested shortly after the body was located and have remained in custody since then. Their father fled the country and has not been tracked down.

According to the Dutch current-affairs programme Nieuwsuur, Khaled is believed to be living in northern Syria and has remarried since the killing.  The Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security told the programme that the Netherlands currently has no way to secure his return. 

'The possibilities for criminal cooperation with Syria are currently not available,' the Ministry said. 'The criminal justice authorities required for this cooperation are not [yet] operational in Syria.'

The teenager's body was discovered by a passerby in a swamp after prosecutors say her father orchestrated her murder. However, Syria's own Ministry of Justice has disputed that assertion. Minister Mazhar al-Wais said the system had been rebuilt and was functioning. 

'That may have been the case in the beginning when the regime had just fallen. Now the Syrian justice system has been fully restored,' he said. He said the country was 'ready', adding that Syria has already received three legal-assistance requests from European nations. 

'We will provide the necessary legal assistance in accordance with the regulations.'The Syrian minister also said his government had never received a request from the Netherlands regarding this case.

The brothers' lawyers had earlier requested that they be released from pre-trial custody. But a judge ruled that they must be held behind bars until their trial. It has been estimated that cops in the Netherlands provide heavy protection to at least five women per year at risk of honour killings. 

Reports from various countries have shown that there has been an increase in honour killings and abuses in Europe over the last twenty to thirty years.  In 2023, a Pakistani couple accused of murdering their 18-year-old daughter after she rejected their demands to marry her cousin were jailed for life in Italy. 

Investigators dug up Saman Abbas' body in November 2022 in an abandoned farmhouse near the fields where her father worked. She was found to have suffered a broken neck. The body of 18-year-old Saman Abbas (pictured) was dug up in November 2022 in an abandoned farmhouse near the fields where her father worked in northern Italy

A year and a half before the discovery, she was last seen alive on CCTV footage walking around the same fields with her parents.  Last year, a Swedish court jailed a Somalian refugee for life after he murdered his seven-months-pregnant girlfriend in 2023. 

Saga Forsgren Elneborg, 20, was murdered by her boyfriend, Mohamedamin Abdirisek Ibrahim, who decided to kill her instead of facing the shame of telling his Muslim family that he was expecting a baby with her. 

Prosecutors say he strangled her at their home in the city of Örebro in April 2023, in a case that sparked a huge outcry in Sweden.  In Germany, a Muslim mother and father who killed their daughter, 19, after she brought 'shame' on the family because she had sex with a 23-year-old man they did not approve of, were also jailed for life. 

Azadullah Khan crept into his daughter, Lareeb's, room as she slept and strangled her while her mother, Shazia, looked on. They then disposed of her body. The couple, who are from Pakistan, had intended to give Lareeb away in an arranged marriage.

This episode also addresses the significant challenges faced by the Madani government in Borneo, and the potential for future political turmoil even after the election concludes. Siapa bakal tawan Sabah? Dalam episod THE ZAID IBRAHIM PODCAST ini, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim disertai penganalisis politik terkenal Dr. Bridget Welsh untuk membincangkan dinamik PRN Sabah, pertembungan antara GRS, BN, Warisan dan PH, serta kebangkitan pemimpin muda dalam gelanggang politik Sabah. 

Episod ini juga menyentuh cabaran besar yang dihadapi kerajaan Madani di Borneo, dan kemungkinan kemelut politik akan datang walaupun selesai pilihanraya.

Underscoring this are deep-seated concerns that Sabah is being left behind in Malaysia and in comparison to neighbouring Sarawak.

Tomorrow, Sabah parties/coalitions will receive the overwhelming support of voters, as Sabahans are expected to turn away from peninsula-based parties/coalitions, especially Pakatan Harapan (in particular PKR) and Perikatan Nasional.

Yet on the ground, livelihood pressures for survival and uncertainty amidst political deal-making and a swarming of candidates have contributed to support for the familiar, notably the campaign resource-rich locally branded Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

The “being-the-government” advantage in a context of deep-seated societal vulnerabilities has mattered, even if, as detailed below, it will not yield the outcome of a categorical reindorsement.

Salvage Malaysia : Sabah brothers and sisters, I would do these 2 elimination tests: 

1) out with peninsular based parties 

2) out with corrupted local parties Then vote for those who don’t fall into the above 2 categories. 

Then post election, the new state govt can always opt to be friendly with federal without being subservient to federal. Learn the smart play from Sarawak. Don’t make another mistake and suffer for another 5 years.

I wish Albert Tei will expose more corrupted politician. Be it from BN, PH, GRS or PN, politicians are all the same. They are in it for the power and money. Bad guy turned crusader against decades of corrupt politicians.

This choice won’t be clear as there are 596 candidates in multi-candidate competitions in 73 seats across the state. This dynamic could lead to long delays in vote tallying tomorrow night and even a hung-parliament between the incumbent Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Warisan.

In one context the election is a straight fight between caretaker chief minister Hajiji Noor of GRS and Warisan’s Shafie Apdal. However, there many local iconic politicians and candidates standing with strong local followings. Warisan is expected to do well in the urban areas and east coast, while a large number of splintered Kadazan parties should do well within the interior of Sabah. They dynamics of large number of candidates competing for single seats under the First-Past-The-Post system is not easy to predict.

Ten percent of voters are new and Warisan has been campaigning hard towards this cohort. The minor parties have been disadvantaged with very limited media coverage. The election will be a test for UMNO fielding an array of new faces to the electorate. The DAP and PKR may find tomorrow difficult with the 40 percent revenue issue an important issue to many Sabahans. Warisan will be highly competitive in the seats DAP and PKR have chosen to contest. Over the last few days prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has been tirelessly canvassing the hustings.

The Albert Tei corruption issue hasn’t gained much traction in Sabah. The major issues are lack of development in Sabah, the cost of living and lack of economic opportunities. This may favour some of the Kadazan parties internally. For Perikatan Nasional (PN) this election is a test of the viability of the coalition nationally. PN could become a spoiler for some UMNO candidates. A poor performance by PKR in Sabah may require a party rethink. DAP may be able to hold onto the 4 seats it has.

Warisan would be expected to push more for Sabah autonomy, but would have to win a clear simple majority to govern. The current personality dynamics between Shapie Apdal and the governor Musa Aman may be a factor. If a hung parliament emerges from voting tomorrow, who governs could go anyway. This would favour GRS.

In a scathing statement yesterday, Indira’s counsel Rajesh Nagarajan took aim at Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Ismail’s appeal for the public to refrain from speculating on the matter.

“After 16 years of broken promises, the police cannot continue asking the public ‘not to speculate’ when speculation is all they themselves have offered. “Indira and her children have been failed repeatedly. It is time for the police to stop issuing excuses and start producing results,” Rajesh said.

Yesterday, Khalid said efforts to locate Riduan are ongoing, in line with the Ipoh High Court’s ruling for it to expand its search to a nationwide hunt for the man. Such efforts, the nation’s top cop said, include probes into allegations that an individual had “used Riduan’s identity” to claim government benefits, such as the Budi95 petrol subsidy and the Rahmah Necessities Aid (Sara).

“At the same time, checks will also be conducted with the Immigration Department to confirm the special travel restriction that remains in effect on the individual,” Khalid added.

However, checks by Malaysiakini on the Immigration Department’s travel status system last night showed no travel ban had been imposed on Riduan.

Commenting on Khalid’s remarks, Rajesh accused the IGP of issuing “deeply troubling” speculations on unconfirmed details while failing to present facts to back his stance.

“Instead of presenting evidence, the IGP is now speculating that ‘someone else’ may have used (Riduan’s) identity, without demonstrating that any proper investigation has been carried out. “Basic steps such as verifying CCTV footage and transaction trails should have been completed weeks ago,” the lawyer insisted.

Asserting that Malaysians deserve “facts, not fiction”, Rajesh said the judiciary’s intervention is a testament to how the police investigations have been “narrow, ineffective, and directionless”.

Conversion, abduction, disappearance

On Nov 22, Indira and her supporters marched from Sogo to the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to hand over a teddy bear belonging to her missing daughter, Prasana Diksa, to the IGP, in a symbolic demand for her daughter’s return.

Khalid, however, failed to show up, sparking criticisms from several parties, including Indira’s lawyer, who urged the home minister to censure the IGP.

The IGP’s statement yesterday did not address his no-show at the gathering, or whether he has intentions to meet with Indira.

Indira’s ongoing struggle began in 2009 when her ex-husband unilaterally converted their children to Islam, abducted Prasana, and disappeared.

The Ipoh High Court overturned the conversion of the three minors in 2013, ruling it violated natural justice since Indira’s consent was not obtained. The court also granted her full custody.

In 2018, the Federal Court ordered the IGP to arrest Riduan for defying the High Court’s directive to return their youngest daughter to her mother - a mandate which remains unfulfilled.

Steven Ong : Can give 200 millions to the Palestine but why can not give a reward of four millions to a whistleblowers? Is Indira's grief not an issue? Then how can it be a==a madani system?

Knucklehead : Dear Top Cop of Malaysia, Allow me to offer some simple advice on how to track him down: 

1. Check the petrol subsidy application records — his mobile number should be there. 

2. Work with the telco to pinpoint his location or at least his last known whereabouts. 

3. Deploy your detectives to monitor that area. 

Within a day or two, you’ll have him detected and nabbed. It’s really that straightforward. You can thank me later!

Faith Fueled the Siege of Malta! What Really Happened in 1565?

The year is 1565. The Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, launches one of the largest invasions in history. Over 40,000 soldiers and hundreds of ships descend on the tiny island of Malta, defended by just 6,000 knights, soldiers, and villagers under Grand Master Jean de Valette. 

What followed became one of the bloodiest sieges of the 16th century and one of Christianity’s greatest victories. From the heroic sacrifice at Fort St. Elmo to the desperate counterattacks at Birgu and Senglea, this was the battle that saved Europe from Ottoman expansion.

Wong Choon Hin (standing fourth from right) with the gallant Malaysian team that lit up the 1975 Hockey World Cup — a quiet pillar in a legendary lineup.

Franco D’Cruz sent the push. Captain N Sri Shanmuganathan stepped in for the strike. But in that tiny choreography — push, stop, hit — each movement had to be perfect. And it was the stop that perhaps made history possible. And that hand-stop belonged to Wong Choon Hin.

Sri Shanmuganathan’s thunderous effort exploded low into the net. No chance for the Dutch goalkeeper. Malaysia had beaten the world champions. A semi-final against India awaited. It was one of Malaysian hockey’s loudest roars, and in the middle of it all was a man remembered more for his composure than his volume.

Choon Hin’s death on Wednesday at 75 does more than end a life well-lived. It closes a chapter of Malaysian hockey shaped by quiet excellence — by men whose discipline, loyalty and nerve once lifted an entire nation on grass fields, with wooden sticks and fearless hearts.

A two-time Olympian and two-time World Cupper, the Melaka-born centre-half was a first-choice international for seven years, earning about 80 caps. He captained the national team from 1976–77. Long after the cheers faded, he remained close to the game, the gentle elder statesman at reunions, the warm presence at anniversaries, the living thread that tied the golden past to the uncertain present.

“Choon Hin was the kind of player every captain loved to have,” said Sri Shanmuganathan. “He marshalled the midfield with a calm you could rely on. In that corner against Holland, he didn’t panic — he made the stop perfect and put himself in the exact place I needed. “He was quiet off the pitch, fierce for the team on it. We owe him a lot.”

From school track to world stage

The description fits the boy from St Francis Institution, Melaka, who first found his stride on the track. As a schoolboy he won titles in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m. His speed caught eyes. His discipline stayed with him. He tried everything; cricket, table tennis, badminton, football. It was his sports teacher, K Macap, and then the great Choo Seng Quee who saw the deeper potential.

Football tempted him. But an ankle injury, and a vision of wider horizons, changed his path. Euphoria at the Kilat Club ground. Fans carry captain N Sri Shanmuganathan after his last-minute winner against the Netherlands on March 11, 1975 — the roar that crowned Wong Choon Hin’s perfect, unseen stop. (KLIK archive pic) Hockey, he decided, could lead to the Olympics and the World Cup.

He was right. That choice carried him to Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976. It took him to the 1973 World Cup in Amstelveen and, most memorably in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, a tournament that made household names of a band of 16 men who played as one. Assistant coach R Yogeswaran remembers him as the engine that never stalled.

“He built plays the way he later built projects in his construction career — patiently, methodically, with an eye for structure,” he said. “On the grass, when every pass mattered, Choon Hin’s reads were perfect. He didn’t chase headlines. He created them for others.”

And yet, the story of Wong Choon Hin does not live only in goals prevented or moves begun.

It lives in friendship.

K Balasingam, his teammate at the 1975 World Cup, speaks not of tactics, but of time. “Our friendship began in the national squad, but it became a lifetime bond. Choon Hin was the kind of friend who didn’t need many words. You just knew he was there.

“For decades, we checked on each other, met at functions, shared memories. He never changed, always humble, always sincere. “In hockey, in life, in friendship, he was solid. Dependable. Gentle. The team has lost a player, but I have lost a brother.”

Glory and a love story 

The 1975 team played on grass, a year before elite hockey moved to artificial turf at the Montreal Olympics. The game was slower, tougher, more raw. Every tackle hurt more. Every run asked more. But the crowd was closer. The emotion was purer.

Defensive steel in the semi-final: K Balasingam (nearest camera) clears an Indian raid as centre-half Wong Choon Hin stands alert behind him — calm, watchful, unbroken. (K Balasingam pic) When Malaysia finished fourth at that World Cup, it became a benchmark no other national team has surpassed since.

A place etched into the country’s sporting fabric, carried through generations like folklore. Choon Hin’s story was also a love story. At the 1975 World Cup, he met Sia Eng, a flag bearer for the Indian team at the opening ceremony.

Teased by his teammates, he gathered his courage. Three years later, they were married. They have two daughters. He went on to be named Selangor sportsman of the year in 1976, edging out the legendary Mokhtar Dahari.

In 2004, he was inducted into the Olympic Council of Malaysia Hall of Fame as a member of the iconic 1975 team, a nod to a golden era that shaped Malaysia’s sporting identity. Away from the pitch, Choon Hin became an architect of another kind.

He worked in the construction industry as a supervisor, project manager and construction manager, contributing to developments such as Mid Valley, Bukit Tinggi’s Colmar Village, power stations, housing projects and commercial complexes. Once again, the pattern was the same: build quietly, build well, walk proud. Wong Choon Hin and his family. (Wong Choon Hin pic) In recent years, despite failing health, he remained connected to hockey, attending matches and gatherings when he could, listening more than speaking, offering presence rather than opinion.

He battled prostate cancer with the same determination he once used to calm a midfield under siege. Now family, friends, teammates and a grateful nation mourn not only a sporting icon, but a good, decent man who never asked for applause.

The lessons of Choon Hin’s life

In an age of highlight reels and self-promotion, he reminds us that some of the most important roles carry no glamour. The stopper in a penalty corner does not take the headlines, but he makes the headline happen.

Bonds beyond sport: Wong Choon Hin (second from left) with his 1975 World Cup teammates and their wives at Poon Fook Loke’s son’s wedding dinner in 2019 — friendship that outlasted the final whistle. (K Balasingam pic)

The centre-half rarely courts fanfare, but he holds the spine. Bonds beyond sport: Wong Choon Hin (second from left) with his 1975 World Cup teammates and their wives at Poon Fook Loke’s son’s wedding dinner in 2019 — friendship that outlasted the final whistle. (K Balasingam pic) Discipline. Timing. Calm. Selflessness. That is his legacy.

As the country says goodbye, the lasting image is not a trophy or a track record. It is that small, perfect moment in 1975: the push, the stop, the hit.

A heartbeat. A nation holding its breath. That quiet man steadied his hand. And Malaysia found its loudest voice. In the years to come, when young players ask what it takes to be part of something bigger than themselves, they could do worse than remember Choon Hin.

He stopped and created so others could score. He built so others could rise. And he proved that sometimes, the strongest presence on the field is the one that speaks the least, but means the most.