Malaysia's new Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Friday he will form a lean cabinet with 10 core ministries and start the process of obtaining an immediate pardon for jailed opposition icon Anwar Ibrahim.
Mr Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's seventh premier late on Thursday, a day after leading his four-party opposition alliance to a stunning election victory that ousted scandal-plagued Prime Minister Najib Razak and ended his coalition's 60-year unbroken grip on power. It was a remarkable comeback for Mr Mahathir, who was premier for 22 years until his retirement in 2003 and is now the world's oldest leader at 92.
Prime Minister Mahathir said the king has indicated he was willing to give an immediate pardon that would free Mr Anwar, who was jailed in 2015 on sodomy charges he said were fabricated by the then-government to crush the opposition.
"We will go through the proper process of obtaining a pardon for Anwar... it is going to be a full pardon, which of course, means he is not only pardoned but to be released immediately," he told a news conference. He didn't say how long the process will take and whether Mr Anwar could be freed before his sentence ends on June 8.
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Comment: Divisions are never far below the surface in Malaysia's complex political alliances
Malaysia's Mahathir, 92, named as opposition PM candidate
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It was a second spell in prison for Mr Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the defeated ruling party who was also imprisoned under Mahathir in 1998 following a power struggle. Mr Anwar and Mr Mahathir joined forces in an unlikely alliance that helped the opposition nailed the electoral victory.
Prime Minister Mahathir's deputy in the new government is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Mr Anwar's wife and the leader of his People's Justice Party. She is the first female deputy premier in Malaysia but the current set-up is seen as transitional as Mr Mahathir has agreed to hand over the baton to Mr Anwar once he is freed.
The new prime minister has been coy about how long he will stay in his new job. Mr Anwar will need to contest and win a by-election after he is freed to become a member of parliament before he takes on the top job.
Mr Mahathir said his four-party alliance will hold a meeting on Saturday and name 10 ministers for a start. He said he doesn't want a "huge" cabinet, in a veiled reference to past cabinets with more than 30 ministers.
He also issued a strong warning against graft, with corrupt officials to be replaced in an overhaul of government departments. He indicated this could include Attorney General Mohamed Apandi Ali, who was appointed after former prime minister Najib sacked the then-attorney general in 2015 to escape possible prosecution over a corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund.
"The attorney-general has undermined his own credibility. He has, in fact, hidden evidence of wrongdoing and that is wrong in law," Mr Mahathir said.
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Choosing a nonagenerian former PM to head Malaysia's opposition is a regressive move
Waft of scandal is choking the once bright light of Anwar Ibrahim
Opinion: Malaysia prepares to go to the polls on Wednesday after more twists and turns than a Shakespearean play
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Anger over the 1MDB scandal prompted Prime Minister Mahathir to emerge from retirement and spark the anger that helped to oust Mr Najib's coalition. The fund was set up by Mr Najib in 2009 to promote economic development but it accumulated billions in debts and is under investigations in the US and other countries.
Prime Minister Mahathir has said he would not go on a witch hunt but that Mr Najib will be brought to court if there was evidence of wrongdoing.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20stats%20and%20facts
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The%20specs
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Company%20profile
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The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
More on animal trafficking
The biogs
Name: Zinah Madi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links
Nationality: Syrian
Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2
Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”
Name: Razan Nabulsi
Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links
Nationality: Jordanian
Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5
Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
WISH
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Read more about the coronavirus
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
