Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday he has secured a majority in Parliament to form a new government, but parties in the ruling coalition called it a “cheap publicity” stunt.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Anwar must provide evidence, and “until proven otherwise, my National Alliance government still stands firm and I am still prime minister.” He urged Malaysians to stay calm.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Malaysia’s King Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today granted an audience to the Ambassador of Qatar to Malaysia Fahad Mohammed Kafoud at the Istana Negara.

Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said during the one-hour meeting, Al-Sultan Abdullah also received a briefing from Fahad on Qatar’s preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 (Bernama) — Mexico and Malaysia are united and have many things in common including the same date for their national day celebration – September 16, said Mexico’s Ambassador to Malaysia Carlos Felix Corona.

On September 16 Mexico commemorated its 210th year of Independence while Malaysia celebrated its 57th year of nationhood.

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 7 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Long-term pass holders from 23 countries which have recorded more than 150,000 COVID-19 cases are barred from entering Malaysia effective today (Sept 7).

According to a list issued by the Immigration Department on its official Facebook account, the countries include the United States, Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Colombia, South Africa, Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Chile.

Also on the list are Iran, United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, France, Turkey, Italy, Germany, Iraq, Philippines and Indonesia.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) has urged the government to reconsider the blanket entry ban on foreign citizens from 12 countries, including the US, which will take effect on Sept 7.

Chief executive officer Siobhan Das in a statement today said the ban would affect amongst others, expatriates with valid work permits in Malaysia such as Employment Passes and Professional Visitor Passes.

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The government will impose an entry ban on citizens of countries recording more than 150,000 cases of COVID-19 starting next Monday (Sept 7), Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced.

He said among the countries in the list were the United States, Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Bangladesh, as well as three countries announced previously, namely India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 29 (AP/PTI) Malaysia has extended its pandemic movement restrictions including a ban on foreign tourists until the end of the year.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said in a televised address late Friday that global cases have been rising and the country has seen sporadic virus clusters even though the situation was under control.

Malaysia has recorded more than 9,000 cases with 125 deaths.

KUALA LUMPUR,  Aug 27 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The proposal to include Sabah and 200 miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the passport of Philippines is not a new move nor is it an official stand of the republic’s government, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaafar.

He said the matter was a proposal of a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of The Philippine House of Representatives to create a substitute bill to amend, replace or abolish the Philippines Passport Act 1996.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 24 (NNN-BERNAMA) — India achieved a significant milestone in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic by conducting over one million tests in a day.

According to a statement from the Indian High Commission in Malaysia sent to Bernama on Monday, with coordinated and consistent efforts by the central, state and the Union Territory (UT) governments, a total of 1,023,836 tests had been conducted last Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The US$1.357 million out of US$340.26 million kept in a London law firm can now be released to PetroSaudi Oil Services (Venezuela) Limited (PSOS-VZ)  after the High Court today allowed the company’s application to amend an interim order which prohibited it from moving the monies to other entities.

The monies were said to be linked to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The funds, which belong to PSOS, are currently in an escrow account held by Clyde & Co Co LLP in the United Kingdom.