Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 ( NNN-BERNAMA) — An investigating officer with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the High Court here Friday that Najib Razak claimed he spent RM3.3 million on gifts for the wife of the former prime minister of Qatar in 2014.

MACC senior assistant commissioner (Special Operations Division) Rosli Husain, 54, said this when questioned by Najib’s lawyer, Farhan Read, on the 57th day of Najib’s trial on alleged misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A U.N. human rights expert on Friday disputed Malaysia’s assertion that it has nearly eliminated poverty, saying that official figures were vastly inaccurate and do not reflect realities on the ground.

Malaysia’s official poverty rate dropped from 49% in 1970 to just 0.4% in 2016.

But Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said the official numbers relied on outdated measures, with the poverty line remaining at the same level for decades despite increasingly high costs of living.

HULU LANGAT, Malaysia, Aug 20 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) has announced that it will install 10,000 units of Light Emitting Diode (LED) village street lights (LJK) in villages in Peninsular Malaysia starting this year with completion expected next year.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said the installation of the LED-type lighting units would use the ministry’s Incentive Based Regulation (IBR) for 2019/2020 allocation that would benefit villagers in need of replacement of existing street lights.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s economic growth for the second half of this year is set to be healthy and driven by the ongoing mega projects, despite the current global economic uncertainties, says Maybank Kim Eng Group economist, Lee Ju Ye.

She said among the mega projects are the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) which has been revived and the Klang Valley MRT 2 as well the LRT 3 project that would become the factors underpinning growth over the long term. 

KOTA BHARU, Aug 18 (NNN-Bernama) — The Entrepreneur Development Ministry is studying placing the development of Malaysia’s halal industry under its ambit and in line with its role which is more focused on it.

Its Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof said, however, the business of certification will remain with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and see the continued involvement of the ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to award the Malaysian standard. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Active engagement with participating countries of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is needed to ensure the infrastructure being developed is in line with the affordability of the respective countries.

Former Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said mega-infrastructure undertakings like BRI were not without risks, as in recent years there have been some concerns expressed on debt sustainability.

He said this in turn would also have implications on economic growth and sovereignty.

SEREMBAN, Malaysia, Aug 15 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin died of gastrointestinal bleeding, probably due to the lack of food over a long time, and prolonged stress, it was revealed here today.

Negeri Sembilan Police chief Datuk Mohamad Mat Yusop said the autopsy on Nora Anne also found that she died two or three days before her body was found.

The body of the 15-year-old special-needs girl was found on Tuesday about 2.5 km from an eco-resort in Pantai here after she went missing on Aug 4, a day after she and her family checked in for a holiday.

SEREMBAN, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian police said Thursday there were no signs of foul play in the death of a 15-year-old London girl who mysteriously disappeared from a nature resort, with an autopsy showing she succumbed to intestinal bleeding due to starvation and stress.

Nora Anne Quoirin’s body was discovered Tuesday beside a small stream about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) from the Dusun eco-resort after she disappeared from her family’s resort cottage on Aug. 4.

SEREMBAN, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian doctors conducted an autopsy Wednesday to determine the cause of death of a 15-year-old London teen whose naked body was found nine days after she mysteriously disappeared from a nature resort.

Nora Anne Quinn’s body was discovered Tuesday beside a small stream about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles) from the Dusun eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state, where she went missing on Aug. 4. The body was airlifted to a hospital, where she was positively identified by her parents.

13 August 2019; DW: A chief Malaysian police officer has confirmed a body was found during the hunt for teenager Nora Quoirin. Malaysian authorities said they are certain the body belongs to the missing girl.

A body was found in southern Malaysia on Tuesday during the search for 15-year-old Nora Anne Quoirin, who has been missing since 4 August while on holiday with her family.