SUBANG JAYA, May 6 — When it comes to your local neighbourhood coffee shop, it always pays to have a familiar face who eats there almost every week to guide you on where you should place your bets.

Away from the commercial Taipan area, these two rows of shophouses were once a desert for eateries but that has changed now, with loads of places where you can choose to sit down for a meal.

Opened since last year, Restoran Yum Cha has an impressive line-up of goodies, including kolo mee, pan mee, wantan mee, char kway teow, curry mee, chicken rice and even Chinese zhajiangmian and dumplings.

With its corner lot, the coffee shop offers an airy environment for dine-in customers. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

My friend picked two evergreen family favourites: tom yum fish head noodles and Thai braised pork leg noodles.

The fish head noodle stall offers the usual repertoire, ranging from fresh fish slices, deep fried fish and fish paste.

Customise your bowl with various broths: plain, milky, rice wine infused or the refreshing Thai tom yum.

The Tomyum Milky Fried Fish Noodles (RM15) beats all the others with its mouth watering spiciness and tanginess, making it incredibly drinkable to the last drop.

This stall uses mangrove snapper, which has moist flesh that flakes easily, in its fish head noodle. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

While the plain and milky broths are decent, even when accentuated with a liberal dose of rice wine from the plastic bottle, they lack the natural sweetness I crave in a fish head noodle bowl.

Their fish is exceptional because they take the trouble to source the freshest ingredients all the way from Klang.

Usually it’s mangrove snapper (kakap) or siakap, but occasionally it could be just the fresh catch of the day.

The mangrove snapper I tried had what I love in a good fish: smooth, moist flesh and thin skin.

Just for that, I would travel all the way here to savour the exceptional texture.

Each bowl is cooked only upon order with your choice of broth. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Even when fried, their fish retains a flaky texture that pairs well with the funky tom yum broth.

Complete your Thai adventure at the Yaowarat Khao Kha Moo stall, which sells braised pork leg with rice or noodles (RM13) plus kway chap with offal.

This stall is said to be a casual offshoot of the Royal Siam restaurant located in USJ9.

Inside the bowl, find a Thai braised pork leg with hard boiled eggs and Thai rice noodles. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

The usual pairing for this Thai favourite is rice, but try it with Thai noodles, where the rice flour strands have a slightly chewier texture.

Mix the chilli sauces on the side into your broth for an appetising tangy, spicy touch that gets your tastebuds salivating,

The braised pork hock has a soft, tender texture from long hours of cooking in a broth infused with herbs and spices.

'Char kway teow' is a popular order here and it’s moist with softer strands. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Many have talked about this place’s char kway teow too so I had to sample it for myself.

This version appeals to those who like their noodles soft just on the brink of turning mushy, resulting in a moister bite rather than one packed with wok hei.

Leave some room for dessert at Amachi’s Palagaram which is now located a few doors away from the coffeeshop where a crispy brown appam with jaggery and fragrant masala tea is the perfect after-meal chaser.

Tables and chairs are arranged in rows in this corner coffee shop. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Note that the fish head noodle and Khao Kha Moo stall is open for breakfast and lunch, while the restaurant continues till night time with a siu chow stall.

Restoran Yum Cha

2, Jalan USJ11/3J,

USJ11, Subang Jaya.

Tel: 011-35059827

Open: 6.30am to 10pm. Days off are not fixed.

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.

• Legal experts say the Negeri Sembilan state government can still run normally, despite what appears to be a standoff by the state’s “Undangs” or traditional ruling chiefs against the state ruler.
• But an ex-judge said there might be difficulties in some situations, if the Undangs don’t work with the Negeri Sembilan ruler.
• For example, when the Yang di-Pertuan Besar decides on appointing a menteri besar or whether to dissolve the state assembly to pave the way for elections, the Undangs are required to be part of these decisions.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Legal experts say the Negeri Sembilan state government will be able to operate and function as usual, despite recent attempts by traditional ruling chiefs (Undangs) to remove the state ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

Despite the Undangs’ current stand against both the state ruler and the Menteri Besar, former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus said this would not disrupt the state government’s affairs.

“The state administration can still run in the day-to-day running of government where it does not involve the Undangs.

“However, there could be difficulties in some areas of administration where they involve the Undangs,” he told Malay Mail.

He explained that this is because of the “unique” governance of Negeri Sembilan, where the Undangs have a role to play together with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar in certain situations.

“Unlike the Sultans of other States, in Negeri Sembilan the Yang di-Pertuan Besar is not the sole ruler of the State.

“In Negeri Sembilan, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar and the Undangs are, constitutionally, co-rulers of the State; meaning that in some instances, His Highness constitutionally cannot act alone,” he said.

He pointed to the Negeri Sembilan State Constitution’s Article XL(2), which lists when the Yang di-Pertuan Besar’s decisions would require the Undangs’ participation, including the appointment of a menteri besar and on whether to say no to a request to dissolve the state legislative assembly.

Hishamudin said that this means in these specific instances, “since His Highness has to make a decision jointly with the Undangs, there could be difficulties where the Undangs do not give their co-operation to His Highness”.

Hishamudin cited the example of the State constitution’s Article XXVIII(2) or 28(2), which says the word “Ruler” in Article XL(2) or 40(2) would mean a combination of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar “and at least three of the four Undangs” or at least two of the Undangs (if there are only three Undangs in office at that time).

“This means the expression ‘Ruler’ means not just the Yang di-Pertuan Besar; it refers to His Highness plus the Undangs (either three Undangs or two Undangs as the case may be),” he said.

Constitutional lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said the state government can continue to run normally now, as Datuk Mubarak Dohak is said to have been removed as an Undang on April 17 during the “Dewan Keadilan dan Undang” meeting.

“Until and unless Datuk Mubarak proves the contrary (i.e. that he was not removed, as the Undangs suggest), the status quo remains. I understand the Undangs have requested the minutes of the proceedings of the Dewan on 17th April,” he told Malay Mail.

Mubarak was one of the four Undangs who had on April 19 declared the purported sacking of Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, but his status as an Undang has been disputed. 

Imtiaz had previously told Malay Mail that the Undangs’ April 19 declaration to remove Tuanku Muhriz would be invalid, if Mubarak had participated in the Undangs’ decision despite having already lost his Undang position.

On April 20, the Menteri Besar said the state government cannot accept and does not recognise Mubarak’s declaration to remove the state ruler, as Mubarak is no longer an Undang and as the State Constitution had not been followed.

On the same day, Mubarak and the other Undangs issued a letter to say that the menteri besar should be changed.

But Hishamudin said “the Undangs’ call for the removal of the Menteri Besar has no legal effect.” 

“Legally, the Undangs have no power to remove the Menteri Besar. The Menteri Besar could only be removed via the process as prescribed by the State Constitution,” he said, having previously said that a vote in the state legislative assembly (DUN) is the only way to decide if a menteri besar has lost majority support.

Former judge Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus said the removal of Datuk Mubarak Dohak as an Undang should be considered valid. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

Can the Negeri Sembilan disputes be resolved in court? 

1. Can the validity of Mubarak’s removal as an Undang be determined in court? 

While the Negeri Sembilan state government views Mubarak to no longer be an Undang, he and the other Undangs are disputing this.

Citing the State Constitution’s Article XVI, Hishamudin said whether the dispute on the validity of Mubarak’s removal can be litigated in court is a “debatable legal point”.

Under Article XVI(3), the Dewan Keadilan dan Undangs’ (DKU) advice including on the removal of an Undang “shall be final and shall not be challenged or called in question in any court on any ground”.

Hishamudin said this phrase “shall be final and shall not be challenged or called in question in any court on any ground” is an “ouster clause”, which suggests that the matter is “non-justiciable” or cannot be brought to court.

But he also said there is another school of thought, which takes the position that ouster clauses can never take away the courts’ power of judicial review or power to decide on such cases.

Explaining this school of thought, Hishamudin said the courts’ judicial review power is viewed as “one of the basic structures of the Federal Constitution that can never ever be taken away by the Federal Constitution or State Constitution”. 

“In short, the dispute could be brought and litigated in court,” he said, also supporting this view.

But as of now, the removal of Mubarak as an Undang should be considered valid, he said.

Assuming that Mubarak disputes his dismissal and intends to bring the matter to court, and until the matter is brought to court and if the courts were to rule that Mubarak’s removal by the DKU is valid — “until that happens, the advice of the Dewan Keadilan dan Undang regarding Datuk Mubarak’s removal must be taken to be valid and must be enforced by the state authority”, Hishamudin said.

Imtiaz said it could be argued that Mubarak’s removal as Undang is not something that the courts can decide on: “If the Dewan had removed Datuk Mubarak, it is open to argument that this decision is not justiciable as it is a matter falling within the prerogatives of the Ruling Chiefs.”

2. Can it be determined in court if the bid to remove Tuanku Muhriz as Yang di-Pertuan Besar was valid?

Imtiaz cited a previous High Court decision in 2010 when the current Kelantan regent, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra, had challenged his 2009 removal from the state’s succession council through a judicial review bid. The court had said this was “non-justiciable”.

Lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said the status quo in the Negeri Sembilan administration remains now, unless Datuk Mubarak Dohak is able to prove that he is still an Undang. — Picture by Azinuddin Ghazali

But Imtiaz indicated that the courts should still be able to review how the Undangs made their decision to remove the Negeri Sembilan ruler, especially when the State Constitution’s Article X states the process that should be followed.

“While it may be argued that a decision of the Undangs relating to succession is not justiciable, this should not preclude judicial review of the process by which that determination is made, more so for that process (Article X) being provided by law (Article X),” he said.

Imtiaz and Hishamudin had said a Negeri Sembilan ruler can only be validly removed if these two requirements in Article X are fulfilled: 

• the Undangs must carry out a “full and complete enquiry” with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar given the right to an impartial hearing; 
• and a written “proclamation” signed by the Undangs and Menteri Besar on the ruler’s removal. 

Hishamudin noted that Article X does not have an ouster clause, which can be interpreted to mean that the dispute on Tuanku Muhriz’s purported removal can be taken to court.

But even if it could be taken to court, Hishamudin said there is no need for Tuanku Muhriz or the Negeri Sembilan state government to do so, as the ruler’s removal is invalid.

He pointed out that there is a “latent” defect or obvious fundamental defect in the Undangs’ proclamation, as it was not signed by the Menteri Besar.

“As such, as a matter of law, the Undangs’ ‘proclamation’ could just be ignored by His Highness and the State authority. It has no validity whatsoever,” he said.

He said the latent defect in the Undangs’ declaration to remove Tuanku Muhriz would be even more so if they had not carried out a “full and complete enquiry” — such as giving the state ruler a chance to call in witnesses and to respond to the allegations against him in a full and formal hearing.

“The question of taking the Undangs to court, from the standpoint of His Highness or the State Government, therefore, does not arise. In other words, the legal position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar remains intact.”

While saying the Undangs do have the option to go to court to challenge the Menteri Besar’s refusal to sign their “proclamation”, Hishamudin said he seriously doubts that the Undangs have a plausible reason to challenge the refusal, based on all his explanations.

“Having said the above, I respectfully and earnestly urge all parties to endeavour to arrive at an amicable settlement rather than resorting to the courts, for the sake of good governance in the administration of the State,” he concluded.

In the Kelantan case, the High Court had said the issue of succession is non-justiciable, and that the courts would be “ill-suited” to decide the dispute on the facts in that particular case.

Former Court of Appeal judge Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, who was the High Court judge in the Kelantan succession case in 2010, told Malay Mail: “As the law stands now, issues of royal succession and therefore appointment and removal of rulers, are non-justiciable.

Citing the Kelantan case, Ariff said he believes that the issue of the validity of an Undang’s removal should also not be for the courts to decide on: “However, this was taken at the highest level of rulership. Whether the removal of an Undang can be challenged in court might be another matter, although I incline to believe it should fall within the same category.”

Yesterday, Muhammad Faris Johari was reportedly appointed as the new Undang of Sungai Ujong, the position previously held by Mubarak.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Amid the ongoing political crisis in Negeri Sembilan, a grand ceramah organised by Pakatan Harapan and its coalition partners is scheduled to take place, raising questions about its timing.

The ceramah, taking place in the parking lot of Stadium Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Paroi, Seremban later this evening, is expected to draw key party leaders and grassroots supporters.

Amongst the attendees will be DAP’s secretary-general Anthony Loke and national chairman Gobind Singh Deo, Parti Amanah Negara president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, PKR’s Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, and Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is also expected to attend.

When contacted by Malay Mail, aides for Loke and Mohamad briefly confirmed that both party leaders would attend the event which is set to proceed as scheduled.

Given that ceramahs are typically linked to election campaigning, speeches will likely focus on unfolding political developments and the coalition’s position in the state moving forward — even though Negeri Sembilan’s state legislative assembly is not due to expire until November 2028.

This follows a crisis in the state government after 14 Umno state assemblymen from the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by the state’s party chief Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias openly withdrew their support for Aminuddin as MB, ostensibly over his handling of a dispute involving territorial chieftains’ attempts to oust the state’s ruler.

The group later reversed course before the move could be cemented in a vote of no-confidence, although pockets within Umno still insist on breaking the alliance with PH.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi clarified that all assemblymen agreed to continue supporting the state Unity Government to ensure political stability for now.

With state polls not due until 2028, DAP announced it has placed its entire party machinery on standby for the possibility of snap elections in Negeri Sembilan, even as the PH-BN-led coalition government has regained its footing.  

BANGKOK, May 6 — Already reeling from the effects of conflict in the Middle East, Asia is now facing the prospect of strong El Nino conditions that could spike energy demand, sap hydropower, and damage crops.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure, and rainfall patterns.

Last week, the United Nations’ weather and climate agency said El Nino conditions could develop as soon as May to July.

The World Meteorological Organization, meanwhile, said early signs indicated the event could be particularly strong, with some dubbing the impending event a “super El Nino”, although the term is not used by scientists.

That is not good news for Asia, parts of which are traditionally heavily affected by the heatwaves, drought and heavy rains that El Nino can bring.

The phenomenon essentially shifts traditional weather patterns around, for example moving rain that normally falls over Indonesia out to sea, leaving the country vulnerable to drought and wildfires.

El Nino occurs around every two to seven years and is forecast based on sea temperatures.

“The subsurface anomaly that we’re seeing so far is pretty strong,” said Peter van Rensch, a climate scientist at Australia’s Monash University.

“It does look a little bit like what we saw in the 1997/98 event, and that was probably the strongest El Nino,” he told AFP.

There are still plenty of uncertainties, and van Rensch cautioned it was possible an El Nino might not develop at all.

Catastrophic impacts

But the 1997 El Nino brought catastrophic impacts, including extreme drought and devastating wildfires in Indonesia that burned through millions of hectares and created regional air pollution.

Authorities there have already identified peatlands at risk, and warned the country could see its lowest rainfall in 30 years.

The warnings come with Asia buckling under the strain of an energy supply crunch and fears over shortages of fertiliser and other industrial and agricultural components which pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has effectively closed the strategic waterway since the United States and Israel launched attacks on the country on February 28, disrupting global fuel supplies.

Hotter weather will strain energy grids already experiencing fuel shortages, as populations seek to cool homes and workplaces, warned Haneea Isaad, energy finance specialist at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

“For countries that are highly dependent on the Strait of Hormuz for oil and gas deliveries and other trade, strained supply will lead to further fuel rationing, demand-side management and a reduction in economic activities... impacting overall GDP growth,” she told AFP.

The droughts that El Nino can bring to parts of the region also pose a threat to countries that are highly dependent on hydropower, said Dinita Setyawati, senior energy analyst for Asia at the Ember thinktank.

“Most Asean countries use a lot of hydropower,” she warned, highlighting Mekong countries, Nepal, and parts of Malaysia as particularly vulnerable because of their dependence on the sector.

The risks were laid bare in 2022, when a heatwave in China saw hydropower generation in Sichuan fall over 50 per cent, creating shortages that impacted households and industry alike.

Agriculture risks

Hotter, drier conditions will also create fresh risks for agriculture, already under pressure as the ongoing conflict raises the costs of fertiliser and fuel needed for farming equipment.

“If crop prices do not rise enough to offset these higher input and shipping costs, producer margins will be squeezed, raising the likelihood of lower fertiliser application and weaker yields,” warned BMI, a unit of the Fitch Solutions research company.

“This would intensify food price inflation and worsen food insecurity, especially in import-dependent and climate-vulnerable markets.”

For some parts of Asia, an El Nino can bring bouts of intense rain and provoke flooding, which could impact sectors like southern China’s late-season rice harvest, added Isaad.

How climate change affects the emergence and strength of El Ninos is still not well understood.

But research shows climate change itself will bring more frequent intense heatwaves, as well as sudden heavy rainfall that can cause flooding.

So experts said countries across the region should further insulate energy systems against more frequent disruptive weather events by diversifying and greening their grids.

“Solar and wind, coupled with batteries, provide a more resilient infrastructure than a centralised fossil infrastructure,” said Setyawati. — AFP

SUVA (Fiji), May 6 — As evening falls in Fiji’s capital, a steady stream of people approaches a makeshift clinic that is a first line of defence against one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics.

In the South Pacific nation — a popular tourist destination of just under a million people — there were over 2,000 new HIV cases recorded last year, a 26 per cent increase from 2024.

The government has declared an HIV outbreak and described it as a national crisis.

“It’s spreading like wildfire,” Siteri Dinawai, 46, who came to be tested, told AFP.

The Moonlight Clinic, a converted minibus parked in a suburban cul-de-sac in Suva, is part of a push to bring testing into neighbourhoods.

Volunteers from the Survival Advocacy Network — a group supporting sex workers — and Rainbow Pride Fiji, which works with LGBTQ+ communities, are on hand to speak to those who may be reluctant.

Ana Fofole and her team at Medical Services Pacific, which runs the clinic, hand out condoms as part of their awareness drive and test for syphilis and hepatitis B.

“We don’t just turn up anywhere — we have to do it the right way,” says Fofole.

Irinieta Foi, 45, is among those Medical Services Pacific hopes to reach by bringing testing into neighbourhoods.

Foi, who is able to get a result in 15 minutes, says she stumbled upon the clinic.

“I decided, OK, why not?”

Many stay away for fear of returning a positive result, said 28-year-old Ecelina Lalabaluva, who also got tested.

Transit hub for drugs

Clinics like this raise awareness about the blood-borne disease and can help pin down just how many people are living with HIV in Fiji and refer them to treatment.

As evening falls in Fiji’s capital, a steady stream of people approaches a makeshift clinic that is a first line of defence against one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics. — AFP pic

The number of known cases is around 5,000, according to Renata Ram, country director for Fiji and the Pacific at UNAIDS, who says the crisis has been building for years.

That number was as low as 500 in 2014, according to estimates by UNAIDS, which classifies Fiji as having among the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics.

Transmission rates began to increase around 2019, when a group of “very high-risk” injecting drug users emerged, primarily in the sex worker community, Ram explained.

“Fiji, like other Pacific islands, for a long time have been transit hubs for drugs from Latin America and Asia destined for Australia and New Zealand,” said Virginia Comolli, Pacific programme head at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organised Crime.

The flow of highly addictive drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine to those lucrative markets rose sharply after a lull during the Covid pandemic, she explained.

Those drugs are increasingly seeping into the Pacific’s domestic markets — in part due to foreign criminal syndicates opting to pay their local facilitators in kind, she said.

For those living with the virus, the social stigma can weigh heavy in a country where conservative values largely prevail.

‘Wait to die?’

One of the few public faces of the crisis is Mark Lal, who was diagnosed with HIV two years ago.

“In Fiji, whenever the topic of sex comes up, everyone just disperses,” says Lal, 24, a gay man who said he is not a drug user.

He originally knew little about HIV and the available treatment.

“When I was diagnosed, the first thing I asked the doctors was: ‘What now? Do I just wait to die?’”

On his “Living Positive Fiji” page on Facebook, Lal has fielded questions from more than a hundred people.

Most are aged 17 to 20 and are unsure whether to disclose their HIV status out of fear of discrimination.

“If you come out publicly as someone living with HIV, there’s a chance where you might actually not get a good reaction,” Lal said.

His own hospital visit for his initial diagnosis left its mark.

“I saw some walking out with fear in their eyes, and I was like: ‘I want to change this. I want to help people’.”

Fiji has a tough task to rein in case numbers, according to Ram of UNAIDS, who said the country is “15 to 20 years behind” in its HIV efforts.

“A needle-syringe programme is what is very much needed right now.”

The government has said it will adopt a plan to prevent the spread of disease through drug injections, but implementation of its programme to provide safe injecting equipment has been delayed.

For Foi, one of the women attending the outreach clinic, the task is simple.

“It’s really important for everybody to get tested.” — AFP

BRIA (Central African Republic), May 6 — In a classroom in Bria in the unstable eastern Central African Republic, former child soldiers were learning to sew.

It is a way to help the 14- to 17-year-olds move on from the violence they suffered at the hands of the country’s many armed groups.

“It’s not easy teaching them. Some still carry that violence within them. Others are still very stressed,” Christophe Yonaba, a teacher with the Esperance charity, said.

“Sometimes they sit there, silent,” he said of his tailor apprentices. “Then suddenly they get restless, as if they’ve seized up inside,” he said.

The east of the CAR, whose subsoil is rich in diamonds, has been torn apart by years of armed conflict.

“These teenagers have all, at some point, been captured by armed groups,” 53-year-old Yonaba said.

According to the United Nations children’s fund (Unicef), around 2,000 Central African youngsters are still in the clutches of such fighting forces.

At the height of a civil war that dragged on from 2013 to 2018, around 20 groups were operating in the east.

The figure has now fallen to 14 thanks to peace agreements and disarmament programmes.

But armed groups continue to control certain areas of the east, particularly on the border with Sudan and South Sudan.

Since late last year, fighting between the army and rebels has intensified in the region.

The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, within the country and towards the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Past trauma

Awa — AFP has changed the names of all the minors in this story — was just 14 when she was abducted by the Unit for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), one of the largest rebel groups.

She was held captive for around three months.

Sitting at the front of Yonaba’s class, where sewing machines have replaced traditional desks, she shied away from talking about the past and preferred to focus on the present.

“Today, I feel fine. I like what I’m doing here.

“There are other children who’ve had similar experiences to me. We help each other with the work,” the young girl told AFP.

She said she was happy to now live “a sort of normal life”.

In a classroom in Bria in the unstable eastern Central African Republic, former child soldiers were learning to sew. — AFP pic

Amadou, 16, was trained as a baker by the NGO and now makes bread and doughnuts every morning in a traditional oven in his village.

He spent a year and a half in the ranks of the UPC.

“We weren’t asked to use weapons but we were there — like servants.

“We did all the thankless tasks and didn’t get any rest. And on top of that, they spoke to us rudely and harshly,” he said struggling with the painful memories that resurfaced.

Rising demand

Talking about the violence of their past can be traumatic.

Rachelle, who is learning about livestock farming with Esperance, said she was used as a sex slave when she was just 14.

The ordeal went on for a year.

“They forced me to do things. I had to in the end, otherwise there would have been consequences,” she confided bravely.

Rachelle refused to say any more.

The memories continue to haunt her, though.

She especially wonders about her mother, who was kidnapped at the same time as she was and has not been heard from since.

Esperance, which is partly funded by Unicef, helped 52 young people find a vocation and a job last year.

It offers psychological support as well as training.

Recent disarmament programmes have contributed to a rise in demand for its services.

“Before, we might have received one call a month. Now, it’s every week,” said Karl Malone, who is in charge of uncovering new cases of child soldiers in the Bria region.

“This year, we’ve received enough funding to help 100 children,” he said.

“But there are at least 117 who need help. And we can’t take care of them,” he sighed.

Like other aid organisations, Esperance has been affected by the drop off in international funding, particularly from USAID, the US development agency.

USAID was dismantled by US President Donald Trump shortly after he returned to power. — AFP

NEW YORK, May 5 — The Met Gala turned New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art into the world’s most glamorous red carpet, with A-list actors, musicians, athletes, artists and designers coming together for charity — and offering their best looks.

Here are the top five moments of the night:

Queen Bey

As the red carpet arrivals went on for hours, everyone was waiting and wondering: when will Beyonce arrive?

Typically, the event’s co-chairs are among the first on the scene, and tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman did just that.

But Beyonce made a grand entrance, and did not disappoint.

She stunned fashionistas in a diamond skeleton gown, with skin-toned mesh underneath, the bejewelled bones showing to the tips of her fingers. The outfit, designed by Olivier Rousteing, included a feathered coat and an intricate headpiece.

Beyonce making her grand entrance. — AFP pic

At her side was rapper husband Jay-Z, elegant in a black tux and tails, and their 14-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter, who wore a strapless creamy white dress with a puffy train and a matching jacket.

“It feels surreal because my daughter’s here,” Beyonce told Vogue. “It’s incredible to be able to share it with her and I think she looks so incredible.”

Saint Laurent rules

Saint Laurent designer Anthony Vaccarello was co-leader of the gala’s “host committee” — one tier below the co-chairs — and his work was on display all over the red carpet.

From actress Zoe Kravitz, who worked on the committee with him, to supermodel Kate Moss to “heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie, the label was everywhere.

Rapper Doja Cat, also on the committee, wore a draped latex gown with a demure neckline — but slit up to her waist.

And singer Rose, a multiple Grammy nominee this year for APT, her banger collab with Bruno Mars, wore a chic strapless black dress with a high slit and an outsized bird brooch at her waist.

Music divas meet K-pop

The Met Gala hosted some of music’s most glittering stars: Madonna, Cher and Stevie Nicks are all in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And Rihanna is a pop superstar, a beauty mogul and a Met Gala favourite.

Thai singer and actress Lalisa Manobal. — AFP pic

But also on hand were some of the top names in K-pop, including Jennie, Rose, Lisa and Jisoo from girl group Blackpink, and the three women behind the mega-hit “Golden” from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters.

While the Material Girl opted for a wispy Saint Laurent slip dress with a grayish cape handled by seven ladies-in-waiting and a towering hat featuring a ship, Cher wore a leather and lace Burberry dress, and Nicks wore a deep blue ensemble with matching top hat.

Rihanna is no stranger to the Met Gala and has made many unforgettable appearances, including last year, when she unveiled her third pregnancy.

Rihanna arriving at the 2026 Met Gala. — AFP pic

This time around, she arrived in a sculptural silver gown from Maison Margiela with an intricately beaded bodice and an Art Deco-style headpiece.

For Team K-pop, singer-songwriter EJAE — an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe winner for writing Golden — stood out in a sparkling silver column gown from Swarovski, topped off with Korean hairpins called binyeos, according to Vogue.

Singer-songwriter EJAE. — AFP pic

‘Heated Rivalry’ stars scorch carpet

Are you Team Rozanov or Team Hollander?

Actors Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams have emerged over the past year as the It Boys of showbiz and fashion, on the back of the massive success of their gay hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, based on novels by Rachel Reid.

After taking the Winter Olympics and the Oscars parties by storm, the boys were back.

Storrie (who plays the flashy Ilya Rozanov) arrived first, wearing a chic black Saint Laurent suit with a sleeveless white-dotted black shirt that ended in a long train down his back — which he revealed after ditching the jacket.

Williams (who plays the subdued Shane Hollander) was the more daring of the two, sporting a pale blue Balenciaga suit with a cropped jacket, bare chest and a gauzy black train that was giving couture matador.

Pure whimsy

The theme for the gala is “Fashion is Art”, and while many A-listers played it safe, a few understood the theme and went all-in.

Game of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie rocked a dramatic off-the-shoulder red Giles Deacon gown with a colorful feathered hat and a face mask in her hands, hoping to conjure the image of a John Singer Sargent painting.

Gwendoline Christie. — AFP pic

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka made her Met Gala debut in a striking Robert Wun ensemble that featured a white coat with red feather accents, which she removed to reveal a red gown studded with thousands of red Swarovski crystals.

Broadway actor Ben Platt wore a pale green and sky blue suit that clearly depicted Georges Seurat’s “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” — the source material for Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Sunday in the Park with George.”

And model Heidi Klum — known for her over-the-top Halloween costumes — resembled a living statue, her white gown draped perfectly, looking like marble. — AFP

BANGKOK, May 5 — Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday that the Cabinet has approved a draft emergency decree to borrow up to 400 billion baht (about RM48.5 billion), aimed at cushioning economic impacts from the global energy crisis and accelerating the country's transition towards clean energy, reported Xinhua.

Speaking at a press conference, Anutin said the decision was driven by the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has disrupted global energy prices and economic activity, noting that the crisis has cascaded from energy into food prices, placing significant pressure on the cost of living for citizens nationwide.

Anutin said the government's timely intervention is critical to prevent the Thai economy from sliding into stagflation, which is defined as high inflation combined with a slowing economy.

The draft decree is designed to navigate the South-east Asian nation through the current crisis and reduce economic vulnerabilities while strictly maintaining fiscal discipline, he added.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the proposed loan will fund two comprehensive initiatives, with the first phase providing immediate financial relief to farmers, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and low- to middle-income citizens to help reduce living and production costs.

The second phase seeks long-term structural transformation by reducing fossil fuel reliance, promoting renewable energy and electric vehicles, and fostering innovation and workforce skills for the new economy, the ministry said in a statement.

The emergency decree is scheduled to be submitted to the Parliament on May 14, and a project monitoring mechanism will be established to track the allocation and implementation of the loan, said Ratchada Thanadirek, a spokesperson of the Thai Prime Minister's Office.

Despite the massive borrowing package, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas assured the public that the national debt will remain manageable and stay well below the legal ceiling of 70 per cent of gross domestic product. — Bernama-Xinhua

KOTA BHARU, May 5 — Two men, namely a person with disabilities (PWD) and a senior citizen died while three others were injured, in an accident involving two vehicles at the Simpang Tiga Manik Urai Lama junction, Kuala Krai, this morning.

In the 9.12am incident, the fatalities were the Perodua Kembara driver, Mohd Yusof Mat Yasim, 64, from Kampung Pahi, and the front-seat passenger of the Honda City, Muhamad Irfan Zaidin, 20, from Kampung Pangkal Pisang, Peringat.

Kuala Krai Fire and Rescue Station Chief Nik Ahmad Afsham Nik Pa said they received an emergency call at 9.12am before a fire engine was deployed to the scene.

He said that among those injured were a 30-year-old woman with an intellectual disability, a 61-year-old senior citizen, and another 24 year-old individual, respectively.

“The fire engine arrived at the scene at 9.26am, approximately 21 kilometres from the station, and the operation was successfully brought under control four minutes later. The accident involved a Perodua Kembara sports utility vehicle carrying three victims and a Honda City VTEC with two passengers,” he said when contacted today.

According to him, the driver of the Perodua Kembara was confirmed dead at the scene, while his two passengers were injured. Meanwhile, the driver of the Honda City was injured, and the front-seat passenger died.

He noted that firefighters extricated the trapped victims before handing them over to the Ministry of Health ambulance for further treatment, while the deceased were handed over to the police.

“This operation involved six personnel with one Fire Rescue Tender, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation,” he said. — Bernama

SERI ISKANDAR, May 5 — A total of 61 cases of online fraud involving university students in Perak were recorded from January to April this year with losses totalling RM303,372.36.

Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the types of fraud included phone calls, e-commerce, investments and loans.

“If previously this group was viewed as less exposed, the data we have obtained shows that university students are currently the main group targeted by criminals,” he said at a media conference after officiating the launch of ‘Module On The Current Trends of Commercial Crimes’ at Universiti Teknologi Petronas’s (UTP) Chancellor’s Hall here today.

He also stressed that all parties need to view such frauds seriously as it did could target anyone, regardless of background and status.

On today’s programme, Noor Hisam said it was a partnership between the Perak police and UTP aimed to improve public awareness on commercial crime, especially among university students.

The module launched is focused on commercial crime’s current trends that have been developing in line with digital technology advancement, and requires more proactive approaches in terms of prevention.

“Such programmes can hopefully make students more aware of fraud tactics and they can be agents to deliver information to friends and their respective communities,” he added. — Bernama

SHAH ALAM, May 5 — A recycling plant in the Mahkota Beranang industrial area, in Semenyih, is suspected to be the source of odour pollution detected in Sungai Semenyih two days ago.

State executive councillor for Public Health and Environment, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, said a Lembaga Urus Air Selangor (LUAS) inspection on May 3 detected an abnormal odour in the river, with a threshold odour number (TON) of two. The pollution is believed to have originated from the factory’s discharge.

She added that further LUAS inspections found a coloured discharge suspected to have been released directly into the drainage system, which then entered Sungai Kabul. The premises also reportedly failed to comply with licensing conditions under Selangor’s Zero Discharge Policy (ZDP).

“In response, LUAS implemented comprehensive prevention and immediate mitigation measures, as the pollution posed a risk to the operations of the nearest water treatment plants (WTP), specifically the Sungai Semenyih and Bukit Tampoi WTPs.

“LUAS immediately began recovery efforts in Sungai Kabul and surrounding areas by applying about 100 kilograms of activated carbon for deodorisation and initiating intensive odour monitoring in both Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih,” she said in a statement today.

Jamaliah said that LUAS ordered the premises to cease discharges and to conduct immediate cleaning and control measures at the site and related areas.

She added that mitigation measures included pumping water from Pond B and Pond C under the Selangor Raw Water Guarantee Scheme (SJAM) to supply up to 770 million litres per day of raw water directly to the Sungai Semenyih WTP, ensuring uninterrupted supply.

“Sampling was conducted by LUAS at the affected locations within the premises and has been sent to the Department of Chemistry (JKM) for further analysis.

“LUAS has opened an investigation paper under Section 79(4) of the LUAS Enactment 1999 for the offence of polluting water sources, and Section 59 for failure to comply with licence conditions,” she said.

Jamaliah also said that LUAS monitoring at 8pm yesterday detected no abnormal odour in Sungai Semenyih and Sungai Kabul, and river conditions had returned to normal.

“SJAM operations ended at 8pm, and the Sungai Semenyih WTP has resumed normal operations using raw water from the river.

“Nevertheless, LUAS will continue to closely monitor Sungai Kabul and Sungai Semenyih to ensure there are no further pollution effects or risks to plant operations,” she added. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Constitutional Amendments regarding the separation of the roles of the Attorney General and Public Prosecutor aims to finalise the relevant Bill in the near future before it is tabled by the final meeting on May 18.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the target was set following further scrutiny of the recommendations that had been agreed upon previously.

“The committee also aims to finalise this Bill in the near future before a report containing the proposed amendments is submitted by the final meeting scheduled for May 18, 2026,” she said in a statement today.

She said the fifth Committee Meeting, which she chaired today, focused on the drafting of the Bill.

According to her, during the meeting, the committee heard a presentation from the Attorney General’s Chambers regarding the proposed new draft Bill, which was formulated based on those recommendations.

Azalina said that the Madani government remains committed to ensuring that the process of separating the roles of the Attorney General and the Public Prosecutor is carried out meticulously, based on principles, and in accordance with the Constitution.

She added that this step is in line with efforts to strengthen the doctrine of the separation of powers and increase public trust in the country’s justice system.

The meeting was also attended by the Members of Parliament for Parit Sulong, Selayang, Bangi, Lubok Antu, Bukit Gelugor, Tawau, and Muar.

The Members of Parliament for Alor Gajah, Larut, Beluran, and Kota Bharu were unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances. — Bernama