It’s Saturday, October 24, and these are the updates for you.
Let’s begin with national news.
Firstly, Sarawak’s State Legislative Assembly will be dissolved on October 26, paving the way for the state’s 13th election.
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg announced the decision on Friday after receiving the consent of state Governor Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
The dissolution will trigger the election process, with the Election Commission expected to announce key dates, including nomination day and polling day.
The current 82-seat assembly was elected in December 2021, when Gabungan Parti Sarawak, or GPS, secured 76 seats.
The coalition, led by Abang Johari, has governed Sarawak since 2018 and will be seeking another mandate from voters.
Following the dissolution, the state government will operate in a caretaker capacity until a new administration is formed.
The upcoming election will determine Sarawak’s political direction for the next term, with parties expected to focus on development, infrastructure, autonomy and the state’s share of national resources.
Secondly, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed disappointment over what he described as rigid thinking during parliamentary debates.
Speaking at the Industry Excellence Awards ceremony, Anwar said Malaysia needed more forward-looking discussions on economic development, technology and industrial competitiveness.
He criticised debates that remain focused on arguments over who is more Islamic or who is a hypocrite, saying such discussions reflect outdated ways of thinking.
Anwar argued that Malaysia must strengthen its capabilities in artificial intelligence, supercomputing and high-performance computing to remain competitive internationally.
He also highlighted the importance of developing local industries and helping small and medium-sized enterprises expand their capabilities.
The Prime Minister said economic progress required the country to embrace innovation while remaining respectful of Malaysia’s diverse cultures, religions and communities.
His remarks come as the government pushes its 2027 Budget agenda, which includes digitalisation, research and development, digital infrastructure and green energy.
Thirdly, the provider of Malaysia’s navigation app TuJu aims to resolve the application’s technical problems within two weeks.
Prosignal Consortium, which operates the app alongside the Malaysian Highway Authority, said its technical team was working to restore stable navigation and improve the overall user experience.
The company apologised for disruptions reported by users over the past few days and said restoration work was targeted for completion by November 6.
The problems emerged following a surge in users after the government encouraged Malaysians to consider TuJu as an alternative to Waze.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had raised concerns about the security of location data associated with Waze, prompting renewed attention on locally developed navigation services.
However, the sudden increase in demand has placed pressure on TuJu’s technical capacity, with users reporting problems involving navigation and route information.
The provider said other functions remained available while its technical team worked on the affected features.
The government has also requested a detailed explanation of the disruptions and a corrective action plan from the parties operating the app.
Fourthly, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli has instructed his lawyers to begin defamation proceedings against Human Resources Minister R. Ramanan over corruption allegations.
Rafizi said he had provided his legal team with a video and transcript of Ramanan’s press conference on Thursday, during which the minister made allegations against him, including claims of corruption.
According to Rafizi, his lawyers believe there are sufficient grounds to pursue a lawsuit over the statements.
The dispute follows an earlier exchange in which Rafizi alleged that a PKR Member of Parliament had accepted a RM9.5 million bribe in connection with a case involving what he called the corporate mafia.
Rafizi identified Ramanan as the individual in question, an allegation Ramanan has disputed.
Rafizi said Ramanan’s latest statements had crossed the boundaries of defamation law.
He also questioned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement in Parliament that Ramanan had initiated legal proceedings, saying Ramanan had indicated that he had not filed a lawsuit over the earlier allegations.
The dispute is now moving towards possible court proceedings. However, the initiation of a lawsuit does not establish that either party’s allegations are true.
Fifthly, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is investigating Facebook over a livestream of an alleged attack on a teacher at a school in Kuching.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the commission is examining why the platform failed to detect or block the livestream at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 21, when a 16-year-old male student allegedly attacked a female teacher with an axe at an international school in Kuching.
The teacher sustained injuries to her hand, and footage of the incident subsequently circulated online.
Police are investigating the case, while MCMC has urged the public to stop sharing the footage to protect the privacy and well-being of those involved, particularly children.
Fahmi said similar incidents involving violent acts being livestreamed had occurred in other countries. He added that he would leave the investigation to MCMC before commenting further.
The case has renewed questions about how quickly social media platforms can detect violent content and whether their moderation systems are sufficient to prevent such footage from being broadcast or widely circulated.
Sixthly, the permanent pedestrian link between the East Coast Rail Link station in Gombak and the existing LRT station will not be ready when ECRL services begin in December.
Malaysia Rail Link, the project owner, said the covered pedestrian bridge connecting the ECRL station with the Gombak LRT station and the Gombak Integrated Transport Terminal is expected to be completed by March 2027.
As an interim measure, a temporary pedestrian walkway will be provided when ECRL services commence in December.
The temporary route will use existing connecting areas and facilities operated by Prasarana, with passenger safety and comfort taken into account, including for travellers carrying luggage.
Malaysia Rail Link is also discussing the possibility of a shuttle bus service with Prasarana to help passengers move between the stations.
The Gombak station is intended to serve as an important interchange between the ECRL and the existing public transport network.
However, the delay to the permanent connection means passengers will initially have to rely on temporary arrangements when transferring between services.
Moving on to Penang.
Seventhly, Penang has reduced annual licensing fees for private short-term accommodation operators as part of amendments to the state’s local authority regulations.
State Local Government Committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye said the revised fees are intended to ease the financial burden on smaller operators while maintaining regulatory oversight.
Under the revised structure, the annual licence fee for a private lodging unit will be RM500, while the separate fee for private accommodation premises will vary according to the number of rooms.
The annual private accommodation fee will be RM400 for a one-room unit, RM600 for two rooms and RM800 for three rooms.
For properties with four rooms, the fee will be RM1,000, while premises with five to 10 rooms will remain subject to a fee of RM1,800.
The amendments were approved by the state executive council on October 19 and are undergoing the gazettement process, with implementation scheduled for January 1, 2027.
The state government said the changes followed feedback from accommodation operators and industry associations.
The revised rules also clarify the definition of private short-term accommodation to distinguish these properties from conventional hotels and prevent businesses from using the classification to avoid hotel licensing requirements.
Operators will still need to comply with the applicable licensing conditions and regulations.
And finally, in international news.
Eighthly, Typhoon Champi has battered Taiwan with powerful winds, torrential rain and huge waves, prompting evacuations and widespread disruptions.
The storm brought dangerous conditions to Taiwan’s eastern and northeastern coasts, with waves reaching several metres in height.
At Fugang Fishing Harbour in Taitung County, waves reportedly swept a large crane into the sea, while coastal roads and infrastructure were damaged elsewhere.
Authorities also reported widespread flight cancellations, school and office closures, and power outages as the storm approached the island.
More than 2,600 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas, particularly mountainous regions at risk of landslides and flooding.
At least one person was reported killed, while more than 160 people were injured.
Although Champi had weakened after briefly reaching super typhoon strength, officials warned that its broad storm system continued to pose a serious threat.
Taiwan’s weather authorities urged residents to stay away from exposed coastlines and mountainous areas, warning that heavy rain and dangerous waves could persist.
The storm has also disrupted transport and daily activities, with authorities continuing to monitor conditions as Champi moves away from Taiwan.
And that’s your catch-up with Newsenz for today.
Stay informed, stay ahead.