Good morning. Here’s our news and views that matter for today.
Key Highlights
‘One or two sodomy cases’ CEO nabbed
Will Akmal dent Umno’s Mahkota crown?
Malaysian link in scams, human trafficking
‘One or two sodomy cases’ CEO nabbed
The police have detained Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holdings (GISBH) chief executive officer Nasiruddin Ali.
Nasiruddin, his wife and children are among 19 individuals remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations into allegations of sexual abuse of children in welfare homes.
Also detained were the children of former al-Arqam leader, the late Ashaari Mohammad, who formed GISBH after al-Arqam was banned.
Previously, Nasiruddin had conceded that there were “one or two” sodomy cases but argued that it should not be used to tarnish the organisation.
He said the police could have “advised or discussed” with GISBH instead of raiding 20 homes and rescuing more than 400 children.
Nasiruddin also lamented that the police’s swift action, which he found “strange” since he was a Muslim and GISBH is also a Muslim organisation, had led to a situation which was worse than Gaza.
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Will Akmal dent Umno’s Mahkota crown?
On Sept 28, voters will be casting their ballots for the new Mahkota assemblyperson.
However, the burning question is whether BN’s candidate from Umno Youth, Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah’s Mandarin skills would be able to convince Chinese voters, who comprise 35 percent of the electorate, to look past Umno Youth chief Dr Muhammad Akmal Saleh’s antics.
Syed Hussien is confident that his leader’s recent outburst against DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok would not derail his chances of retaining the seat for BN, which fell vacant following the death of the incumbent assemblyperson from Umno Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain on Aug 2.
Wanita Umno chief Noraini Ahmad, when met on the campaign trail, sidestepped the issue, saying it is not related to the by-election.
Umno supreme council member Ahmad Maslan denied a news report that Akmal had been instructed to keep his distance from Mahkota.
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Malaysian link in scams, human trafficking
Many Malaysians have fallen victim to human trafficking and online scams. But a report on transnational crime in Southeast Asia revealed that Malaysians are also involved in running these illegal operations.
The report, “Transnational crime in Southeast Asia: A growing threat to global peace and security”, detailed how criminal networks built scam compounds in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and involved Malaysians in managing their operations and fraudulent proceeds.
“The senior study group involved in preparing the report looked closely at dozens of compounds hosting forced labour scam operations across the region. They found that the criminal networks behind the compounds built a web of contacts across the region, including in Malaysia.
“The study group identifies the involvement of Malaysian nationals in the operation of at least two of the so-called casino cities in Myanmar,” said United States Institute of Peace (Usip)’s Burma programme country director Jason Tower, who co-chaired the study group.
According to him, one of these casino cities, on the Thai-Myanmar border, was even launched in Kuala Lumpur by a prominent figure in Chinese transnational criminal syndicates.
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Views that matter
 | By Lutfi Hakim Ariff |
 | By Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab |
 | By Mohamed Hanipa Maidin |
Other news that matter
At a military base in Mahkota, Johor, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said he wants a Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) created specifically for children of military personnel, in addition to an existing campus.
Johor Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed scoffed at PAS’ plan to rekindle ties with the nationalist party and urged the Islamist party to “move on”.
In an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, Perikatan Nasional’s by-election director Azmin Ali says the coalition is an underdog at the Mahkota polls, but it still stands a chance at victory.
After multiple deadline extensions, Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s sons Mokhzani and Mirzan have finally declared their assets to the MACC. The brothers previously pleaded for patience as they took on the “impossible endeavour” of collating 43 years’ worth of information.
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