PUTRAJAYA, June 7 — Police have referred a video regarding claims of an identity card issued to an alleged Myanmar national circulating on social media to the National Registration Department (NRD) for verification.

Putrajaya police chief ACP Aidi Sham Mohamed said the case stems from a report received on June 5 at 8.45am.

“Initial investigations found a viral Facebook video posted by the account ‘Na’am Ahmad’, which questioned how someone allegedly from Myanmar could possess a blue MyKad.

“However, the video was a re-upload by a third party. Further checks revealed that there were no identity documents or MyKad shown in the video to support the claim,” he said.

Aidi Sham advised the public not to share any unverified or false information related to the incident, as it could create confusion and tarnish the reputation of those involved.

“The public should also obtain information from official sources and report any relevant information to the police to assist with investigations,” he added. — Bernama

JUNE 13 — For over a century, the car industry and the rubber business share an invisible pact, the tyre. Now, the pact is breaking. The world is going electric, and the humble tyre under your car is about to become a battleground. Nearly 70 per cent of all rubber produced on this planet — both natural and the synthetic — ends up as tyres. But electric vehicles (EVs) are a different beast. They are heavier, quieter, and focused on one thing: range. An EV driver’s greatest anxiety isn’t speed—it’s watching that battery meter drop. And every time a tyre flexes and deforms against the road, it wastes energy as heat. That’s called rolling resistance. For a petrol car, it’s an annoyance. For an EV, it’s a crisis. The solution seems simple: design tyres with lower rolling resistance. 

This is where the showdown between natural and synthetic rubber begins. Conventional wisdom, backed by science, points to one winner: natural rubber. Why? Because NR has a unique property called “low hysteresis — it springs back into shape with very little energy loss. It’s resilient, tough, and loves wet roads. Synthetic rubber, derived from petroleum, is often stiffer and generates more internal friction. For rolling resistance, NR is the undisputed champion.

So, problem solved, right? The EV revolution means more natural rubber and less oil. A green victory. Not so fast. Remember those two words: heavier and quieter. EVs are silent. Suddenly, every tiny noise from the tyres becomes a nuisance. And here, synthetic rubber excels. SR can be engineered to be whisper-quiet in ways natural rubber cannot easily match. Furthermore, the immense torque of an electric motor, instant acceleration, shreds ordinary tyres. EVs need abrasion-resistant compounds to survive 20,000 miles. That, too, leans back towards synthetics.

The author argues that the rise of electric vehicles is reshaping the global tyre industry, creating new opportunities for natural rubber due to its low rolling resistance while simultaneously demanding higher-quality materials and hybrid formulations that could transform traditional rubber supply chains and livelihoods. — Pexels pic

So the tyre maker is trapped. They need the low rolling resistance of natural rubber to satisfy range anxiety. But they also need the durability and acoustic comfort of synthetic rubber to satisfy safety and luxury. The coming war is not a substitution; it’s a reformulation. For the next decade, expect the tyre industry to move towards highly engineered “smart” tyres. The likely path? A renewed love affair with natural rubber for the tread — the part touching the road — where rolling resistance matters most. But reinforced with synthetic polymers in the sidewall and inner liner to handle weight and silence.

This is not good news for everyone. For the natural rubber industry — largely smallholder farmers in Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam — this is a double-edged sword. Demand could rise as EV tyre treads go NR-heavy. But the quality demanded will be brutal. No more inconsistent, smoky, low-grade slabs. EV tyres need pristine, highly purified natural rubber with molecular perfection. Small farmers without access to modern processing will be squeezed out. We could see a wave of consolidation, or worse, a shift to genetically engineered rubber plantations, wiping out traditional livelihoods.

For the synthetic rubber giants, the future is defensive. Their product will lose share in the tread but gain premium pricing for specialty applications. They will survive, but the era of cheap, bulk SR for every budget tyre is ending. And what about the rest of us? We will pay. A high-performance EV tyre is already a marvel of engineering; soon it will be even more expensive. But we’ll also win. Lower rolling resistance means smaller batteries, less mining for lithium, and lower electricity bills. The carbon footprint of driving could finally drop meaningfully.

The car industry is moving electric. That much is headline news. But the quieter revolution — the one happening in the rubber compounders’ labs, the latex processing sheds of Sumatra, and the boardrooms of petrochemical firms — will ultimately decide whether the EV era fulfils its promise. Natural rubber is poised for a comeback. But only if it can modernise fast enough. And only if we, the public, understand that the tyre under our silent new car is no longer just a tyre. It’s a geopolitical and ecological statement. Let the rubber meet the road. But first, let the science meet the tree.

* Professor Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. He can be reached at ahmadibrahim@ucsiuniversity.edu.my

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

TAPAH, June 7 — The female climber who was found safe after going missing in the Gunung Batu Putih area, Jaslinda Saludin, 49, found two notes left by the search and rescue (SAR) team at Kem Air Busok during the operation.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) assistant director of operations, Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the notes were with Jaslinda when she was found yesterday before being shown to the fire department.

“The note was left by a forestry mountain guide (MGP) known as Hafiz while conducting a search in the Kem Air Busok area on May 30.

“On that day, the search team focused on the route from Pos Musoh to Kem Air Busok and the note was left as an indication that the SAR team had passed through the area,” he said.

Sabarodzi said, based on information obtained, Jaslinda only arrived in the Kem Air Busok area on Friday (June 5), which is the day before she was found by Orang Asli residents in Kampung Lubuk Gaharu.

“The discovery of the note shows that Jaslinda had been near the route that the SAR team had travelled throughout the search operation,” he said.

One of the notes shared with the media read “Kak Jas please stay in one place, people are looking for you – Hafiz.”

Previously, Jaslinda was reported to have joined the climb with 13 other climbers and two MGP via the Trans Spencer Chapman route which started at 2 am, May 23 via the Pos Gedung-Gunung Bah Gading-Gunung Batu Putih-Kuala Woh route.

Jaslinda and another climber, Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, were reported to have suffered health problems and stopped climbing. However, the supply chain executive at a private company is believed to have continued on to the summit before being last seen on May 24. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — An investigating officer told the Sessions Court today that he was unaware that former Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli had links to another construction company that participated in the open tender for the Penang undersea tunnel and three main roads project.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Headquarters Investigation Division Senior Superintendent Zulhilmi Ramli said that besides Consortium Zenith Beijing Urban Construction Group (CZBUCG), VST Cemerlang Sdn Bhd had also submitted a bid for the mega project through the open tender process.

However, he said he was unsure whether Zarul Ahmad had planted VST Cemerlang as a bidder, and only knew that the businessman had links with CZBUCG.

The 38th prosecution witness said this during cross-examination by defence counsel Haijan Omar in the corruption trial of former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng involving the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel and main roads project.

When asked by the lawyer whether his investigation showed that Zarul Ahmad had secretly placed VST Cemerlang in the bidding process, Zulhilmi replied that he was not sure.

Further questioned on whether he knew if Zarul Ahmad had any influence or interest in VST Cemerlang that enabled the company to participate in the tender, Zulhilmi answered: “I do not know.”

Haijan then suggested that the witness had never investigated the matter and was unaware of the reasons, basis and interests behind VST Cemerlang’s participation in the tender.

However, Zulhilmi disagreed and said his investigation was conducted based on the complaint lodged.

When the lawyer suggested that the matter had been overlooked during the investigation, Zulhilmi again maintained that he disagreed.

Earlier, in his witness statement, Zulhilmi said CZBUCG was the best company among the five bidders evaluated for the project.

According to him, CZBUCG scored 93 per cent compared with the nearest bidder, VST Cemerlang, which scored 77 per cent, resulting in CZBUCG being awarded the tender for the project.

Lim, 65, is charged with using his position as Penang chief minister to obtain gratification of RM3.3 million for himself by helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad secure the RM6,341,383,702 Penang roads and undersea tunnel project at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office between January 2011 and August 2017.

For the second charge, the Bagan MP is accused of soliciting a bribe amounting to 10 per cent of the profits to be earned by Zarul Ahmad as an inducement for helping the businessman’s company secure the same project. The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, here, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.

He also faces two charges of causing two plots of Penang government land worth RM208.8 million to be disposed of to a developer company linked to the undersea tunnel project. The offences were allegedly committed at the Penang State Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.

The trial before Judge Azura Alwi continues on July 23. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — A man was found dead inside a vacant two-storey building on Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar in Ipoh, Perak, on Tuesday.

According to The Star, Perak Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said the discovery was made after police requested assistance to gain entry into the locked premises at about 1.25pm.

He said a team from the Ipoh Fire and Rescue Station arrived at the scene six minutes later and found the building’s entrance secured with a locked metal grille.

Firefighters then used a power saw to cut through the grille before entering the building.

Sabarodzi said that upon entering the premises, they found a man on the first floor.

The victim was later pronounced dead at the scene by police.

The body was subsequently handed over to the authorities for further action.

The operation, involving six firefighters and five police personnel, ended at 1.55pm.

TAPAH, June 1 — General Operations Force (GOF) personnel were airlifted today to assist in the search and rescue (SAR) operation for a female hiker who has been missing on Gunung Batu Putih near here since May 23.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division assistant director Sabarodzi Nor Ahmad said eight personnel from the GOF’s 3rd Battalion in Bidor were deployed into the search sector, with their involvement also prompted by safety concerns following the discovery of wild animal droppings in the area.

“The presence of the GOF not only enhances safety but also complements the operation through the expertise they bring,” he told Bernama and RTM at the Gunung Batu Putih SAR operations forward command post at the GOF 3rd Battalion headquarters in Bidor today.

He said the GOF personnel, together with eight members of JBPM’s Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (STORM), eight Forestry Department personnel and mountain guides, were flown into the search area aboard an MI-17 helicopter, significantly reducing travel time compared with previous overland routes through Gunung Batu Bujang and Pos Kuala Woh.

Sabarodzi said it was still too early to determine whether today’s operation would be the final search phase, or “last flushing”, as a coordination meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Perak JBPM director Datuk Sayani Saidon said SAR efforts remain focused on the area between Kem Kantoi and Gunung Rayu, involving personnel from JBPM, the Forestry Department, mountain guides and the GOF.

Sayani said communications with the team remained disrupted, believed to be due to their location in a valley with limited signal coverage.

He said SAR operations were continuing in the area between Kem Kantoi and Gunung Rayu involving personnel from JBPM, the Forestry Department, Forestry Mountain Guides and the GOF.

Any new developments would be assessed based on information retrieved from the trail camera brought down from the mountain, he added.

Meanwhile, Bernama was given the opportunity to board the MI-17 helicopter to observe the deployment of rescuers into the search area.

The flight from the forward command post to Kem Kantoi took about an hour and involved transporting two STORM members, three GOF personnel and a Forestry Department officer.

The rescuers, together with their equipment and backpacks, were lowered to the ground using a winching technique.

From an altitude of about 2,000 metres above sea level, the vast expanse of rugged terrain blanketed by dense forest highlighted the challenges facing search teams, with the thick green canopy making it difficult to spot anything from the air.

Jaslinda Saludin, 49, was among a group of 14 hikers and two Forestry Department mountain guides who began the Trans Spencer Chapman expedition at 2am on May 23 via the Pos Gedung-Gunung Bah Gading-Gunung Batu Putih-Kuala Woh route.

She and another hiker, Mohd Hanafi Neikmad, 41, reportedly experienced health issues and stopped during the climb. However, Jaslinda later continued towards the summit and was last seen by a mountain guide at about 7.30am on May 24. — Bernama

JUNE 14 — We hear it constantly: “Innovation is the key to our future.” Governments race to launch “innovation strategies,” build shiny tech parks, and tout their rising patent counts. Yet, for all the fanfare, results are wildly uneven. Some nations consistently spawn world-changing technologies and resilient, high-growth industries; others pour money into research with little to show. The difference isn’t simply spending more — it’s about getting the foundations right. After decades of watching policy fads come and go in the world, a clear pattern emerges. A successful national innovation agenda rests not on a single silver bullet, but on the deliberate cultivation of three interconnected ecosystems: the human, the financial, and the cultural.

There is no denying that we do live in an innovation-led world. Every boardroom from Silicon Valley to Singapore parrots the same gospel: “Innovate or die.” Even universities are increasingly giving emphasis on innovation beyond just publication. And yes, businesses pour billions into design thinking workshops, agile sprints, and “moonshot” labs. Yet most get little more than expensive PowerPoints and a trophy shelf of failed pilots. Why? Because they confuse innovation theatre with the real, unglamorous work of building an ecosystem where innovation actually survives. A robust ecosystem is critical. After watching two decades of corporate reinvention efforts, many would argue there are three non-negotiable requirements for innovation success — and none of them are what the consultants are selling.

First, we need to kill the ROI religion — at least for a while. Obsession with monetary returns has been a sore point when pursuing innovation initiatives. The norm is every executive claims to want breakthrough ideas, but their capital-allocation process is designed to hunt just dollars and cents. No positive ROI, no support, is common practice. The reality is true innovation is not a linear factory. It is not straight forward. It is messy, non-obvious, and often looks like failure for months. The major requirement? A separate governance model with a distinct risk appetite. That means a dedicated innovation budget that leadership cannot raid to cover quarterly earnings misses. It means rewarding teams for learning what doesn’t work, not just hitting short-term targets. Without financial “side pockets” and patient capital, your culture of innovation is just a poster on the wall. 

The author argues that successful innovation depends less on slogans, funding levels or symbolic initiatives and more on cultivating the right organisational conditions. — Pixabay pic

Second, psychological safety is not enough — you need political safety. We hear endlessly about “failing fast” and “speaking up.” But in most organizations, the real innovation killers aren’t fear of embarrassment — they’re fear of career suicide. Middle managers know that championing an unproven idea means risking their promotion, their budget, and their internal network. The major requirement is structural protection: explicit career pathways for intrapreneurs, no-blame post-mortems for ambitious flops, and senior leaders who visibly defend the radical failures alongside the wins. Otherwise, your brightest people will quietly innovate at a startup — not inside your walls.

Third, stop worshipping the lone genius. Build for friction. We love the Steve Jobs myth: one visionary, one garage, one world-changing product. But sustainable innovation is a team sport played across functional boundaries. The real requirement is what I call “productive friction” — deliberate collisions between engineering, marketing, operations, and finance. That means tearing down silos not with trust falls, but with joint metrics, shared innovation scorecards, and cross-functional project rotations. When a supply chain manager has equal say with a product designer, magic happens. When they don’t, you get “innovative” features no one can manufacture or sell.

So, here’s the hard truth: most businesses will continue to fail at innovation, not because they lack talent or ambition, but because they lack the courage to change how they govern, reward, and structure work. You can buy all the foosball tables and Post-it notes you want. But until you rewire your capital rules, protect your experimenters from political blowback, and force uncomfortable collaboration, your “innovation ecosystem” is just an expensive hobby. The companies that win won’t be the ones with the flashiest labs. They’ll be the boring ones that did the unsexy work of redesigning their operating systems for uncertainty. Everything else is just noise.

* Professor Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim is affiliated with the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy Studies at UCSI University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Ungku Aziz Centre for Development Studies, Universiti Malaya. He can be reached at ahmadibrahim@ucsiuniversity.edu.my

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8— The High Court here today fixed August 5 to rule on the prosecution’s appeal against the Sessions Court’s acquittal of human rights blogger Jufazli Shi Ahmad.

The appeal stems from two charges of making offensive posts against former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Umno via YouTube, and failing to provide a YouTube account password to police officers.

Judge Datuk Aslam Zainuddin set the date after hearing submissions from deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Shahrizzat Amadan and defence counsel Ramesh N.P. Chandran, representing Jufazli, 37.

On October 18, 2024, the Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Jufazli on both charges without calling for his defence.

In his submissions today, Mohamad Shahrizzat contended that the Sessions Court judge had erred in ruling that no evidence linked the respondent to the uploaded video, and that this error justifies an intervention by the High Court. 

Meanwhile, Ramesh said the prosecution failed to adduce any evidence whatsoever from YouTube to prove that the respondent was the administrator or owner of the account known as “KingMaker”.

On July 7, 2022, Jufazli pleaded not guilty to uploading a video titled “Panas!! Supermodel Kantoi Merompak RM77.3 billion” on YouTube King Maker Politik at 3pm on June 27, 2022. 

The offensive videos were viewed at 3pm at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Dang Wang district police headquarters on July 1, 2022.

The charge, framed under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998, carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment for up to one year or both, and is also liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence persists after conviction.

Jufazli also claimed trial to a charge of failing to provide the password to his YouTube King Maker Politik account, stored on his mobile phone, to police officers at the Dang Wangi police headquarters at 12.10pm, July 5, 2022.

The charge was brought under Section 249 of the CMA, which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM100,000 or imprisonment of up to two years or both, upon conviction. — Bernama 

KOTA KINABALU, June 14 — Dengue cases nationwide rose 27 per cent to 33,367 as of June 13 (Epidemiological Week 23), compared with 27,640 cases recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the situation in Sabah was more concerning, with the state recording a sharp 50.4 per cent increase to 2,866 cases, compared with 1,905 cases during the same period last year.

He said several districts in Sabah had been identified as the main contributors to the state’s caseload, namely Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu, Tawau, Sandakan, Penampang and Putatan.

“We know that this surge falls within the expected cyclical trend of infections that occurs every four to five years, but we must remain vigilant in dealing with the situation,” he told reporters in Manggatal here today.

Earlier, he officiated the national-level Asean Dengue Day, World Malaria Day and Mega Gotong-Royong held in conjunction with the 2026 National Healthy Malaysia Agenda (ANMS) Roadshow at the Manggatal Community Hall here.

Dzulkefly said that, apart from the cyclical trend, the Health Ministry had also identified a shift in the circulating dengue virus sub-variants, with the DEN-3 sub-variant now becoming dominant, as a contributing factor to the rise in cases.

To address the challenge, he said the ministry had introduced a new strategic approach based on Behavioural Insights (BI) through the Dengue-Free Community (Kombat) programme.

“We are introducing several new initiatives, particularly through the application of the BI approach, which draws on behavioural economics and examines human behaviour, including how people can be influenced or nudged towards positive change.

“The nudging strategy is aimed at encouraging behavioural change. People may be aware of what needs to be done, but that alone does not necessarily lead to action. Awareness and literacy are not enough. We need to create conditions that enable people to change, with support from both the federal and state governments,” he said.

He said Kombat focuses on three key strategies: environmental interventions, community empowerment and a whole-of-society approach, including the strengthening of entomological surveillance. — Bernama