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Hello Jammu News at 11:20:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 27 :  Malaysia banned visitors from the Chinese city of Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei province on Monday, in a bid to contain the spread of a deadly virus.

A statement by the prime minister's office said the authorities will temporarily halt all issuance of visas for Chinese citizens from the area with immediate effect.

"The government has decided to suspend temporarily all immigration facilities ... to all China nationals from Wuhan city and the surrounding Hubei province," it said.

Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases of the flu-like virus which started in the central-Chinese city and has spread worldwide.

All four, including two children, are in stable condition.

They are tourists from Wuhan who entered Malaysia for a holiday via neighbouring Singapore.

The virus, similar to the SARS pathogen, has claimed at least 81 lives -- all of them in China.

Malaysia welcomed 2.94 million visitors from China last year and is aiming to raise this to 3.48 million this year.

The prime minister's office said the ban will be lifted when the situation returns to normal.

Meanwhile, a campaign by Malaysians on petition website change.org urging the government to bar Chinese nationals from entering the country has gathered more than 383,000 signatures of the 500,000 target as of Monday evening.

"The government should think more of the health of Malaysians," the petition said.

"Don't wait until there is death among Malaysian people then only the government wants to take some preventive action.
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Hello Jammu News at 1:49:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 4: Rosmah Mansor, the luxury-loving wife of Malaysia's former prime minister, was Thursday charged with money laundering linked to a multi-billion-dollar scandal that helped bring down his government.

The 66-year-old pleaded not guilty to 17 charges of money laundering at a court complex where her husband Najib Razak was also making a separate appearance in connection with the alleged plunder of state funds.

Rosmah was allowed to post bail of two million ringgit ( 483,365) and ordered to surrender her passport. She was also barred from contacting any witness.

Prosecutors had sought 10 million ringgit in bail, citing the seriousness of the charges, which could result in Rosmah having to spend the rest of her life in prison.

Lead prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram told the court that Rosmah "had approached a witness with a request to give a statement in her favour".

In the first charge sheet, prosecutors said "you engaged directly in a transaction that involves proceeds of unlawful activity" in violation of laws against money laundering.

Prosecutor Gopal told court Rosmah's alleged offences were "very serious" as he justified the high bail amount sought.

Defence lawyers sought bail of 250,000 ringgit.

Rosmah, wearing an orange dress and scarf, arrived under heavy security at the court complex after being arrested Wednesday and held overnight at the headquarters of the country's anti-corruption agency, which had subjected her to three rounds of questioning.

At court on Thursday, she sat quietly in the dock and did not look at the gallery, where her family members were seated.

Rosmah's love of designer handbags, jewellery and other trappings of wealth became a target for critics ahead of last May's election, won by a disparate coalition led by former leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Rosmah became reviled for her profligate spending and imperious manner while her husband was prime minister for nine years.

While she was being charged on Thursday, her husband -- also out on bail -- made a separate court appearance in connection with some of the more than two dozen charges lodged against him.

Najib, 65, has denied any wrongdoing despite revelations that hundreds of millions of dollars ended up in his personal bank accounts.

A central issue in the May election that ousted Najib was that his family and cronies looted billions of dollars from 1MDB in a fraud ring that stretched from Singapore to Switzerland.

After the election loss, a stash of cash, jewellery and hundreds of designer handbags worth as much as 273 million was seized from properties linked to the couple in raids around Kuala Lumpur.

Rosmah is often compared to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than a thousand pairs of shoes after her husband, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, was ousted in a popular uprising in 1986.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93, who came back from retirement to challenge Najib, has launched a crackdown against corruption involving people in the previous government. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:48:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 3: The wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday was being grilled by the anti-graft agency for the third time over a massive graft scandal involving the 1MDB state investment fund.

Rosmah Mansor smiled at reporters but didn't speak as she was escorted into the agency's building. Her presence at the agency for the second time in a week fueled speculation that she could soon face criminal charges like her husband.

At the same time Wednesday, Najib turned up at the police commercial crime office, where he was summoned to answer further questions relating to the 1MDB scandal. He dodged reporters waiting for him outside the building.

Najib has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of money laundering, corruption, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust over the scandal and will face trial next year. Rosmah was first summoned by the agency on June 5 and again on Sept. 26, when she was questioned for nearly 13 hours.

Malaysia's anti-graft chief, Mohamad Shukri Abdull, said last week that the agency had completed its probe of Rosmah and had submitted its investigation report to the attorney general's office for further action. It's unclear why she was being questioned again. Local media have reported that she could face up to 20 charges.

Rosmah, 66, is widely reviled for her opulent lifestyle and penchant for expensive jewelry and designer Birkin bags that led to her being compared with former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos and her extravagant collection of shoes.

Police found hundreds of luxury handbags, jewelry and cash worth more than USD 266 million during raids on apartments linked to the family shortly after Najib's shocking electoral defeat in May. Seized were 567 handbags, 423 watches and 12,000 pieces of jewelry, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras. Najib has said the items were mostly gifts to his family.

In a biography in 2013, Rosmah said it was common for a prime minister's wife to receive expensive jewelry and gifts. She also said she had earned millions of ringgit from her own music album, which wasn't released to the public but was bought by government ministers who were fans of her singing talent.

Najib set up the 1MDB fund when he took power in 2009, but it accumulated billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries. US investigators say Najib's associates stole and laundered USD 4.5 billion from the fund from 2009 to 2014, some of which landed in Najib's bank account.

They say USD 27.3 million was used to buy a rare diamond necklace for Rosmah.

Public anger over the scandal eventually led to the ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections that ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reopened investigations into 1MDB that were suppressed under Najib's rule. He has also banned the couple from leaving the country.

Police have said investigations show that USD 972 million was transferred into Najib's bank accounts from three companies linked to 1MDB. Najib, 65, has accused Mahathir's government of seeking political vengeance against him and his family.  (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:28:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 20: Police and Malaysia's anti-graft agency say detained former Prime Minister Najib Razak will face at least two dozen fresh charges of abuse of power and money laundering over the multimillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund.

Najib will be brought to court Thursday. Police have taken custody of him after he was detained by the anti-graft agency Wednesday over the transfer of 681 million into his bank account.

National deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said 21 of the charges involve the receiving, using and transferring of illicit funds.

The anti-graft agency said Najib will face charges under a section of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act that involves abuse of power. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:04:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 13: A top Malaysian lawyer for former Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged Thursday with receiving 9.5 million ringgit (USD 2.3 million) in ill-gotten wealth from his client, who is himself accused of money laundering and corruption.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was arrested and brought to court, where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering and another two counts of evading taxes by making false declaration of his income tax.

According to the charge sheets, he received proceeds from illegal activities of 4.3 million ringgit (USD 1.04 million) from Najib's personal bank account in September 2013 and another 5.2 million ringgit (USD 1.26 million) in February 2014.

Shafee is the main defence lawyer for Najib, who faces charges of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption linked to the multibillion dollar looting of the 1MDB state investment fund months after his electoral defeat.

"This is victimisation," Shafee told reporters.

He was released on bail.

Shafee last week admitted he received the money but denied it was payment as a reward for him to prosecute then opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in his sodomy trial.

He said the payment was for legal services previously done for Najib's Malay party and then-ruling coalition, and that he had no knowledge of the source of the money.

He had expressed concern he was being victimised to discourage him from defending Najib.

Public anger over the 1MDB scandal led to the stunning ouster of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 national polls and ushered in the first change of power since independence from Britain in 1957.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

The new government reopened investigations stifled under Najib's rule and barred him and his wife from leaving the country.

Police also seized jewellery and valuables estimated at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (USD 273 million) from properties linked to Najib.

Najib, 65, has accused Malaysia's new government under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of seeking political vengeance and vowed to clear his name in his trial. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:54:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 8: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been charged with three counts of money laundering related to the alleged multibillion-dollar looting of a state investment fund, adding to his troubles just three months after his stunning electoral defeat.

Najib stood calmly in the dock today as the charges were read to him. Last month he pleaded not guilty to abuse of power and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

Najib, 64, has accused Malaysia's new government of seeking "political vengeance" and has vowed to clear his name in his trial.

All of the charges against him involve the transfer of 42 million ringgit (USD 10.3 million) into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of the 1MDB fund that international investigators say was looted of billions by Najib's associates. Each of those charges has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Each money-laundering count carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and a fine of not less than five times the sum laundered.

Najib set up 1MDB when he took power in 2009 for the stated purpose of promoting economic development, but the fund amassed billions in debts and is being investigated in the US and several other countries for alleged cross-border embezzlement and money laundering.

After leaked documents exposed the scandal, Najib sacked critics in his government, muzzled the media and quashed investigations.

Public anger led to the defeat of Najib's long-ruling coalition in May 9 elections and ushered in the first change of power since Malaysia gained independence from Britain in 1957.

The new government reopened investigations into 1MDB that were stifled under Najib and barred him and his wife from leaving the country. Police have also seized jewelery and valuables valued at more than 1.1 billion ringgit (USD 270.2 million) from properties linked to Najib. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:27:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Jul 31: Malaysia's civil aviation chief said today he has resigned to take responsibility after an independent investigative report highlighted shortcomings in the air traffic control center during Flight 370's disappearance four years ago.

The report released yesterday raised the possibility that the jet may have been hijacked even though there was no conclusive evidence of why the plane went off course and flew for over seven hours after severing communications.

Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the report didn't blame the civil aviation department for the plane's loss but found that the Kuala Lumpur air traffic control center failed to comply with operating procedures.

"Therefore, it is with regret and after much thought and contemplation that I have decided to resign as Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia," he said in his statement, adding he has served his resignation and will step down in two weeks.

The jet carrying 239 people from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished March 8, 2014, and is presumed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean. The investigative report, prepared by a 19-member international team, said the cause of the disappearance cannot be determined until the wreckage and the plane's black boxes are found.

However, the report said the investigation showed lapses by air traffic control, including a failure to swiftly initiate an emergency response and monitor radar continuously, relying too much on information from Malaysia Airlines and not getting in touch with the military for help.

New Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Tuesday the government has formed a committee to investigate and take action against any misconduct based on the report findings.

The report said there was insufficient information to determine if the aircraft broke up in the air or during impact with the ocean.

Scattered pieces of debris that washed ashore on African beaches and Indian Ocean islands indicated a distant remote stretch of the ocean where the plane likely crashed. But a government search by Australia, Malaysia and China failed to pinpoint a location. And a second, private search by U.S. company Ocean Infinity that finished at the end of May also found no sign of a possible crash site.

Malaysia's government has said it will resume search if credible evidence on the plane's location emerges. (AP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:16:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, July 4: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged with corruption today for allegedly accepting millions of dollars in bribe money, in a stunning fall from grace just months after his shock election defeat.

Najib, the first ex-premier in Malaysia to appear in front of a judge, is accused of pocketing 42 million ringgit (USD 10.4 million), and three counts of criminal breach of trust.

Each charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in jail.

The unprecedented court appearance came the day after the 64-year-old was arrested at his luxury home by officers probing how billions of dollars of state funds disappeared on his watch.

Allegations of massive corruption were a major factor behind the shock election loss in May of Najib's long-ruling coalition to a reformist alliance headed by his 92-year-old former mentor Mahathir Mohamad.

Today's court hearing was the latest step in a quick-moving investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Najib, his family and many of his close political and business allies.

"Najib is the first (former) prime minister ever to be charged in court in the history of Malaysia," said Tian Chua, vice president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, a key political party in the current ruling coalition.

"It signals a new era where no one in public office will be immune from punitive action if they abuse power," he added.

State prosecutors asked that the case be transferred to the High Court because of the severity of the charges. Najib is expected to enter a plea there later today.

According to an investigation by the Wall Street Journal, USD 10.6 million originating from SRC International Sdn Bhd, an energy company that was originally a subsidiary of 1MDB, was transferred to Najib's personal bank accounts, a fraction of hundreds of millions of dollars from 1MDB that was allegedly funnelled to him.

Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing.

Since the election loss Najib has been banned from leaving the country.

"We pray Datuk Seri Najib gets a fair trial. It is a test from Allah," the former leader's daughter-in-law Nur Sharmila Shaheen told AFP, using an honourific title, adding her father-in-law was "calm".

A press statement issued by Najib's camp late yesterday said the impending charges and other investigations "are politically motivated and the result of political vengeance" under Mahathir.

It vowed that Najib "will contest these charges and clear his name in court".

Najib and his allies are accused of plundering billions of dollars from the 1MDB to buy everything from US real estate to artworks.

Shortly after his downfall, a treasure trove of valuables was seized in raids on properties linked to Najib and his family -- including cash, jewellery and luxury handbags -- worth up to USD 273 million.

He and his luxury-loving wife Rosmah Mansor were questioned by investigators, as were his stepson Riza Aziz, whose firm produced the hit 2013 movie "The Wolf of Wall Street", and his former deputy Zahid Hamidi. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:29:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, June 30: India's top shuttlers P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth went down fighting in their respective women's and men's singles semifinals to draw the curtains on the team's campaign at the USD 700,000 Malaysia Open Super World Tour 750 tournament here today.

First, Srikanth failed to match the overall superior game of former world no 2 Japanese Kento Momota, who has been in sensational form since making a comeback after serving a one year ban for illegal gambling.

Sindhu, too, met the same fate, against defending champion and world no 1 Tai Tzu Ying, who showed better technical acumen and physical ability.

Srikanth, who had reached world no 1 briefly in April, lost 13-21 13-21 to world no 11 Momota, who registered his 21st consecutive win, while Sindhu's fight ended with a 15-21 21-19 11-21 loss to the Chinese Taipei player in a 55-minute match.

It was Srikanth's sixth defeat to Momota in nine meetings, while Sindhu has now lost nine times to Tai Tzu, this being her fifth successive reverse.

Tai Tzu moved swiftly on court, switched from attack to defence, played some creative strokes to eventually outwit Sindhu.

Sindhu and Tai played some high quality rallies, which were laced with drop shots and tight net strokes.

The duo moved together initially before Tai Tzu opened up a 9-6 lead. Sindhu reduced the deficit but in the end, Tai Tzu led 11-9 when she punched one precisely at the back line.

Tai Tzu looked supremely fit, extremely confident and played quick drops, smashes and also tried out some ambitious strokes to move to game point at 20-15. Another error from Sindhu and it was advantage Tai Tzu after the opening game.

After the change of sides, Sindhu managed to zoom to a 5-0 lead. However, Tai Tzu drew parity at 9-9 before leading 11-10 at the break.

Sindhu kept breathing down her opponent's neck and led 18-16 with four straight points.

However, Tai Tzu again erased the deficit and moved to a minor 19-18 lead when Sindhu went long. But the Indian grabbed a game point when Tai Tzu went wide. A similar error and Sindhu had bounced back into the contest.

In the decider, the duo split the first eight points. But Tai Tzu again marched ahead to 10-6 before a lucky net chord handed the lead to the Chinese Taipei shuttler.

After the final change in sides, Tai Tzu played some perfectly timed shots at the backline to race to a 16-8 advantage. Tai Tzu simply toyed with Sindhu as the Indian made judgement errors and missed the lines, sandwiched with some brilliant returns.

Two weak returns from Sindhu ensured Tai Tzu reached her fourth final at the Malaysia Open.

In the other match, Momota produced some excellent shots mixed with deception, to dominate the rallies. His smashes had power and precision to make life difficult for Srikanth.

Srikanth and Momota went neck and neck from 3-3 to 5-5 before the Japanese rode on his deception and better court coverage to open up a 10-7 lead. Srikanth won a good rally but the Japanese had his nose ahead at the break when Srikanth was bamboozled by a tight net shot.

The left-handed Japanese produced some superb shots from the back of the court to move to a 13-8 lead. Momota continued to accumulate points, surging to 17-12.

Srikanth misjudged a shot at the back line to hand over game points to Momota, who sealed it with another precise net shot.

With Momota in full flow, the margin for error was miniscule and the Japanese pounced on every opportunity, before leading 5-1 after the change of sides.

Srikanth built the rallies well but often erred with the length or miscued strokes, helping Momota moved into the breather at 11-5.

The Japanese continued to rule the roost and quickly grabbed seven match points when Srikanth found the net. Another net error and it was all over for the Indian. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:52:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, June 30: Kidambi Srikanth went down in straight games to in-form Kento Momota of Japan in the semifinals and bowed out of the USD 700,000 Malaysia Open Super World Tour 750 tournament here today.

Srikanth, who had reached world no 1 briefly in April, couldn't match the overall superior game of Momota, who has been in sensational form since making a comeback after serving a one year ban for illegal gambling.

After a 42-minute battle, Srikanth lost 13-21 13-21 to the world no 11 Momota, who registered his 21st consecutive win here.

Momota was quick on his feet and produced some excellent shots mixed with deception, to dominate the rallies. His smashes had power and precision to make life difficult for Srikanth.

Srikanth and Momota went neck and neck from 3-3 to 5-5 before the Japanese rode on his deception and better court coverage to open up a 10-7 lead. Srikanth won a good rally but the Japanese had his nose ahead at the break when Srikanth was bamboozled by a tight net shot.

The left-handed Japanese produced some superb shots from the back of the court to move to a 13-8 lead. Momota continued to accumulate points, surging to 17-12 thereafter.

Srikanth misjudged a shot at the back line to hand over game points to Momota, who sealed it with another precise net shot.

With Momota in full flow, the margin for error was miniscule and the Japanese pounced on every opportunity to lead 5-1 after the change of sides.

Srikanth built the rallies well but often erred with the length and miscued strokes as Momota moved into the breather at 11-5. The Japanese continued to rule the roost and quickly moved to seven match points when Srikanth found the net.

Another net error and it was over for the Indian. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 5:47:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jun 25 : Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he wants to renegotiate a "ridiculous" water supply agreement with Singapore, the latest sign of fraying ties between the neighbours since last month's shock election.

The 92-year-old returned for a second time as premier after his opposition alliance scored an unexpected victory at the polls, toppling a long-ruling coalition that Mahathir himself once headed.

During his first stint in charge of the country from 1981-2003, Malaysia had famously stormy ties with Singapore - and Mahathir has wasted no time in taking aim at the tiny city-state again.

In his latest salvo, he said it was "manifestly ridiculous" that Kuala Lumpur sells water for three Malaysian cents (less than one US cent) per thousand gallons to its resource-poor neighbour.

"That was okay way back in the 1990s or 1930s. But now what can you buy with three sen (cents)? Nothing," he told Singapore broadcaster Channel NewsAsia in an interview.

Asked about plans to renegotiate the long-standing water supply agreement, he said: "We are studying the case properly and we'll make a presentation." The Singapore government did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

A large amount of Singapore's water comes from Malaysia's southern state of Johor. Under a 1962 agreement, Singapore can draw up to 250 million gallons of water per day from the Johor River.

The neighbours have had a difficult relationship since Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 over ethnic issues after a short-lived, stormy union.

Relations in subsequent decades were punctuated by occasional bickering, on many occasions over the water supply issue, but were largely warm under the last Malaysian government, led by scandal-mired Najib Razak.

However ties already look rocky since Mahathir's return to office.

In just a few weeks, he has put a planned high-speed rail line linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on hold, and announced that Malaysia wants to develop an island on rocks at the entrance to the Singapore Strait, an area of great strategic importance to the city-state.  AFP
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Hello Jammu News at 2:32:00 PM 0

Kuala Lumpur, Jun 9: A dominant India sailed into the final of the women's Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament with a seven-wicket drubbing of arch-rivals Pakistan in their last round robin match here today.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, Pakistan were restricted to 72 for seven in the allotted 20 overs at the Kinrara Academy Oval.
Left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht was the most successful India bowler, claiming impressive figures of 3/14 in her four-over spell. The others chipped in with a scalp apiece, although pace spearhead Jhulan Goswami went wicket-less surprisingly.
Bisht was named Player of the Match.
Chasing a meagre target, India completed the task with as many as 23 balls to spare.
Opener Smriti Mandhana top-scored with 38 off 40 balls while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made 34 in 49 deliveries.
Veteran Mithali Raj and Deepti Sharma failed to open their account, but their failures did not come in the way of India's win.
India were off to a disastrous start as they lost Raj and Sharma with just five runs on the board in the third over, but the low target allowed them the liberty of taking things easy. 
The duo of Mandhana and Harmanpreet then added 65 runs for the third wicket, a recovery act that powered the team to within striking distance of another victory. 
Even as Mandhana got out with three runs for win, Harmanpreet was there to guide her side home.
Earlier, Pakistan's decision to bat did not yield the desired result as they lost wicket at regular intervals, and were stopped at 72. 
Sana Mir, one of the most well-know names of Pakistan women's cricket, top-scored for the side with 20, but she consumed as many as 38 balls. 
Opener Nahida Khan (18) was the only other Pakistan batswoman to reach double digit.
This was India's fourth win in five matches, their only reverse being the shocking defeat to Bangladesh. But they bounced back in style, winning against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 1:31:00 PM 0


Kuala Lumpur, May 12: Ex-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been banned from leaving the country, immigration officials say, according to a BBC News report on Saturday.
This comes after Mr Najib said that he and his wife were planning to go on an overseas holiday on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Mr Najib's long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition suffered a shock electoral defeat.
Mr Najib has been accused of diverting $700m (£517m) from a state investment fund in 2015, but has since been cleared by the authorities.
On Thursday, Mahathir Mohamad was sworn in as Malaysia's new prime minister, becoming the world's oldest elected leader at 92.
Dr Mahathir came out of retirement and defected to the opposition to take on and beat former protege Najib Razak.
In a tweet (in Malay), he said he had been informed by the immigration authorities that he and his family would not be allowed to travel abroad.
He gave no reasons for the authorities' decision, but said he would abide by it.
Mr Najib, 64, had said earlier that he and his wife Rosmah Mansor would go on a holiday on Saturday and would return next week.
He had faced accusations of corruption and mismanagement over the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The scandal has gripped the country for years.
1MDB, set up by Mr Najib in 2009, was meant to turn Kuala Lumpur into a financial hub and boost the economy through strategic investments.
But it started to attract negative attention in early 2015 after it missed payments for some of the $11bn it owed to banks and bondholders.
Then the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported it had seen a paper trail that allegedly traced close to $700m from the fund to Mr Najib's personal bank accounts.
Mr Najib has consistently denied taking money from 1MDB or any public funds.
After being sworn in as new prime minister, Dr Mahathir said he would seek the return of millions of dollars lost in the scandal. UNI


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Hello Jammu News at 12:08:00 PM 0


KUALA LUMPUR, May 12: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his name was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.
"After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said in a tweet.
Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week's general election. Mahathir has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB.
The Wall Street Journal, citing people close to Mahathir, reported earlier on Saturday that Najib would be prevented from leaving the country. Reuters was unable to verify the report.
The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, as the only two passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.
A source in Mahathir's government told Reuters that Najib would be taking a holiday. Malaysiakini, a news portal, cited an unnamed source close to Najib as saying that he would take a two-day break in Indonesia.
Mahathir, previously prime minister for 22 years, was once Najib's mentor but turned against him over the 1MDB scandal and led the opposition challenge to him in this week's election, defeating the coalition that had ruled Malaysia for six decades.
Mahathir has vowed to return billions of dollars lost from 1MDB.
He is expected to announce his cabinet line-up later on Saturday. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 12:04:00 PM 0


KUALA LUMPUR, May 12: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Twitter that he would take a short break to spend time with his family, hours after reports that his names was on the flight manifest of a private jet scheduled to leave for Jakarta on Saturday morning.
The manifest of the jet, which is scheduled to fly from an airport near Kuala Lumpur to the Indonesian capital at 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT), names Najib and his wife as passengers, two sources and two media reports said earlier.
"After over four decades in politics and the recent election campaign, which was regrettably personal and perhaps the most intense in Malaysian history, I will take a short break to spend time with my family whom I have not seen enough of in recent years," Najib said on Twitter.
Najib lost to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in this week's elections. The new prime minister has vowed to investigate a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which was founded by Najib.
Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with 1MDB. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 4:44:00 PM 0

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: Mahathir Mohamad, who pulled off a stunning general election win, will not be sworn in as the new prime minister of Malaysia on Thursday, a spokesman for the King's palace said, but gave no reason for the change in schedule.
Mahathir had said shortly after declaring victory that the King would sign his letter of appointment as prime minister of Malaysia's constitutional monarchy during a ceremony at the royal palace in the capital, Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
But palace authorities said there would be no such event and a spokesman for Mahathir, the 92-yer-old veteran former prime minister, said he had not heard from the palace and had no plan to go there.
Mahathir's opposition alliance won the simple majority it required to form a new government in Wednesday's polls, a stunning result that will end six decades of rule by a coalition he once led.
Malaysians celebrated Mahathir's unexpected victory over Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose popularity had plunged over rising living costs and in the wake of a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.
"We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule.
Mahathir appeared jubilant and sprightly at a news conference claiming victory overnight.
Najib began an address to media in the late morning. A member of his cabinet said they would accept the will of the people.
The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN.
Malaysia's currency weakened in offshore trading on Thursday, with the ringgit one-month non-deliverable forward falling 1.7 pct. The U.S.-traded iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF fell 6 percent.
The national stock market was closed on Thursday and Friday after Mahathir declared a public holiday, but the ringgit currency weakened in offshore trading.
Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off.
Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats.
Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments.
Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating.
Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries.
The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.
Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia.
Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court."
Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib.
"I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 2:20:00 PM 0


KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad will be sworn in as the world's oldest elected leader on Thursday after his opposition alliance pulled off a stunning election win, ending six decades of rule by a coalition he once led.
Malaysians celebrated the 92-year-old's unexpected victory over Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose popularity had plunged over rising living costs and in the wake of a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal at 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Mahathir led the Southeast Asian nation for 22 years and his unexpected return to the prime ministership ends the previously unbroken rule of Barisan Nasional (BN), the coalition that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.
"We are not seeking revenge ... what we want is to restore the rule of law," Mahathir said of Najib's scandal-plagued rule.
Mahathir appeared jubilant and sprightly at a news conference claiming victory overnight, even joking with reporters, and will have an audience with Malaysia's king later on Thursday.
The king will sign his letter of appointment as prime minister of Malaysia's constitutional monarchy during a ceremony at the royal palace in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Najib is also expected to address the media at 9.45 a.m. local time (0145 GMT). He has not spoken publicly since the results were declared but a member of his Cabinet said they would accept the will of the people.
The stunning election outcome was expected to ruffle financial markets that were expecting a comfortable win for Najib and the BN.
Malaysia's currency weakened in offshore trading on Thursday, with the ringgit one-month non-deliverable forward falling 1.7 pct. The U.S.-traded iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF fell 6 percent.
The national stock market will be closed on Thursday and Friday after Mahathir declared a public holiday, but the ringgit currency weakened in offshore trading.
Mahathir's alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, had hoped the veteran Malay leader would win over voters usually loyal to BN. That strategy appeared to have paid off.
Official results showed that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) won 113 of parliament's 222 seats, clinching the simple majority required to rule. Najib's BN coalition only managed 79 seats.
Mahathir has promised to reverse a goods and services tax (GST) introduced by Najib during his first 100 days in power and review foreign investments.
Global ratings agency Moody's said some of his campaign promises, including the GST and a reintroduction of fuel subsidies, could be credit negative for Malaysia's sovereign debt rating.
Mahathir was once Najib's mentor but they clashed after differences over the 1MDB graft scandal, in which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off to foreign countries.
The scandal is being investigated by at least six countries, although Malaysia's attorney general cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.
Mahathir vowed to investigate the scandal if elected and to bring the funds back to Malaysia.
Asked on Thursday if Najib would be prosecuted, Mahathir said: "If anybody breaks the law, and that includes a journalist, they will be brought before the court."
Mahathir must now manage a fractious alliance of four parties and make way for jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to become the next prime minister, another former protege with whom he split acrimoniously before reuniting to topple Najib.
"I have to manage presidents of four different parties. It's going to be a headache," Mahathir told reporters. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 4:26:00 PM 0

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9: Malaysians voted on Wednesday in a cliffhanger general election in which Prime Minister Najib Razak's coalition is fending off a resurgent opposition led by 92-year-old former leader Mahathir Mohamad, but is expected to squeak through to victory.
Several opposition alliance leaders and two ruling party politicians claimed their communications were being disrupted by non-stop spam calls on their mobile phones as voting progressed.
"We have lost contact with all of our polling agents," said Lim Guan Eng, a senior leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party. "Our campaign workers are also affected. This is a dirty tech attack on us, we have been paralysed."
The country's communications regulator had no immediate comment on the complaints and officials from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Najib's BN is expected to win despite an election-eve opinion poll suggesting that its support was slipping and that Mahathir's Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) would land more votes in peninsular Malaysia, home to 80 percent of the population.
Under Malaysia's first-past-the-post system, the party or alliance with the majority of seats in the 222-member parliament wins. Most experts believe that is within Najib's reach despite popular anger over a multi-billion-dollar graft scandal that has dogged him since 2015 and increased costs of living.
"I think right now, it looks more favourable to BN ... however, the margin that we're talking about is very small," said Mohamed Nawab Mohamed Osman, a Malaysia scholar at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.
Polling stations for the 14.9 million registered voters opened at 8:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) and will close at 5:00 p.m. (0900 GMT). The Election Commission said that after two hours of voting the turnout had been 24 percent.
Most results are expected before midnight (1600 GMT) but the count may spill into the early hours of Thursday.
"This is a big day for Malaysia as this is when we decide our future," said cardiologist Hasri Samion at a polling station in central Kuala Lumpur. "I think the people have been complacent for too long. We need a visionary to lead Malaysia."
Najib, casting his vote, said he was confident of victory following what he described as "quite vicious" personal attacks during the campaign.
The survey by independent pollster Merdeka Center said BN looked set to win 100 constituencies nationwide and the opposition 83. With these numbers, neither camp would have the 112 seats required to rule and the result will hinge on 37 seats that the pollster said were too close to call.
At the last election in 2013, BN lost the majority vote in its worst performance ever, but pulled in 133 seats.
Unless he improves on that tally, Najib could come under pressure within his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party to stand aside ahead of the next election, analysts say.
Najib made a last-ditch appeal for votes on Tuesday night, including to his core support base, the majority Muslim Malays.
The prime minister said people aged 26 and below would no longer pay income tax if BN won. He also pledged to add two public holidays when the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts next week and said toll roads would be free for five days around the start of the Eid festival, which marks the end of the month.
Speaking at the same time, Mahathir urged voters not to fall for "bribes".
"Don't let a bit of money make you pawn the country forever," he said.
Nawab, the scholar, said there was a small chance that neither BN nor the opposition secures a majority, which would bring a "hung parliament" and potentially put the Islamic Parti Islam se-Malaysia (PAS) in the position of kingmaker.
However, political analysts believe PAS will fall short of the 21 seats it won in 2013. The Merdeka poll had it winning just two seats.
POLARISING FIGURE
Mahathir's opposition alliance, which counts on urban votes and support from the minority ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, is hoping that with the long-ruling former leader as its standard bearer, it will draw in Malay voters traditionally loyal to BN.
However, Mahathir is a polarising figure and many voters are suspicious of him because of his attacks on independent institutions when he was prime minister between 1981 and 2003.
Najib's other formidable opponent is former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence on a sodomy conviction that has been attacked by human rights groups as politically motivated.
Anwar led the opposition in the 2008 and 2013 polls. In an unlikely reconciliation, he has joined hands with Mahathir, who sacked him as his deputy in 1998.
In Najib's favour, ethnic Malays support BN for affirmative-action policies that give them government contracts, cheap housing and guaranteed university admissions.
But Najib, 64, has been buffeted by a scandal over 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund from which billions of dollars were allegedly siphoned off. The prime minister, who was chairman of 1MDB's advisory board, has denied any wrongdoing and he has been cleared of any offence by the attorney general. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 11:48:00 AM 0

KUALA LUMPUR, Apr 28: Campaigning for Malaysia's general election started officially on Saturday, pitting Prime Minister Najib Razak against his former mentor, Mahathir Mohamad, in a contest marred by claims of sabotage and a skewed electoral system.
Najib leads his undefeated ruling coalition into arguably its toughest election since independence from Britain in 1957. He is grappling with a multi-billion-dollar scandal at a state fund, public anger over living costs and an unprecedented challenge by the 92-year-old Mahathir.
Mahathir, returning to politics after retiring 15 years ago, will stand in the holiday island of Langkawi for the May 9 elections.
Prime minister for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, Mahathir returned to challenge Najib after a billion-dollar scandal at state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
The fund is being investigated for money-laundering and graft in at least six countries, including the United States, Singapore and Switzerland. Najib denies any wrongdoing in connection with losses at the fund.
He has defended his government's economic record despite public anger over rising prices, blamed on a consumption tax he introduced in 2015.
Najib will contest from his home state of Pahang. His Barisan Nasional (BN) alliance and the opposition are vying for 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats.
SUSPECTED SABOTAGE
Mahathir told reporters on Friday he suspected sabotage of a private plane that was to fly him from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi after the pilot discovered some damage just before take-off.
"I have warned before that there will be attempts to stop candidates from making it to the nomination centre, but I didn't think it would happen to me," he told reporters at a news conference in Langkawi.
The government ordered an immediate investigation into the claim. Mahathir did not make a police complaint.
The opposition and critics say they are also faced with an electoral system that favours the BN coalition, compounded by a redrawing of electoral boundaries that was fast-tracked in parliament in March.
Najib's government and the Election Commission have denied the accusations.
The nomination of at least two opposition candidates were rejected by the commission on Saturday. Senior People's Justice Party leader Tian Chua was rejected due to a previous conviction, while another candidate's documents were incomplete, Malaysian media reported.
Other claims, such as discrepancies in the electoral roll, have also been reported.
The Election Commission rejected a request this week by Malaysia's national human rights body to monitor the election, claiming they had already appointed foreign observers and independent groups.
International observers from Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives, East Timor, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan will monitor the elections.
A Wednesday polling day set by the commission was also seen as discouraging millions of Malaysians living abroad from voting. However, outraged Malaysians took to social media to offer funding and other services to help people return home to vote.
A low voter turnout was expected to allow Najib's coalition to retain power. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 6:01:00 PM 0



Kuala Lumpur, Apr 6: Malysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Friday announced the dissolution of Parliament, seeking a strong mandate for the ruling coalition in the general election expected early May.
“The king has permitted for parliament to be dissolved effective Saturday, April 7,” Najib said in a special address on the state television. 
Polling has to be held within 60 days from the dissolution of parliament.
He said the Barisan Nasional coalition headed by his United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) party needed a strong new mandate to allow it to proceed with a more extensive transformation of the country.
"If the people choose and give the BN government the mandate to govern for the next five years, InsyaAllah (God willing), we in the top leadership pledge to fulfill more effectively and strive in our obligations to elevate the nation to become one of the 20 most outstanding countries in the world," he said.
"For the sake of our beloved people and country, let's continue our journey towards greater transformation with BN," he said.
The election is said to be a referendum on the prime minister, who is running for a third term amid a scandal involving billions of dollars that were diverted from a Malaysian state investment fund.
Najib urged the people to assess the BN government on the basis of its stability and vast experience as well track record of excellence which had been acknowledged internationally. UNI
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