Tiong: Stop making cynical or mocking statements, rejoicing the suffering of others

KUCHING, Dec 25 2025: Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) president Tiong King Sing has called on all parties to stop and refrain from making unnecessary statements regarding former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s dismissed judicial review application to be placed under house arrest.

Tiong King Sing: No one can arbitrarily make statements that hurt and harm others, like some netizens who told others to "go back to another country" in the recent debate. 

He said some politicians have made uncontrolled and emotional statements that have gone beyond the bounds and have been fueled by some immature politicians, gradually causing racial division.

“This situation is very regrettable and worrying. Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-cultural country,” Tiong said in a statement, adding that peace and mutual respect have always been the most valuable assets, and should not be undermined.

He said politicians should control themselves and have political sensitivity, wisdom, and the ability to accurately assess the situation.

Tiong, who is also the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, said they should refrain from making cynical or mocking statements, and avoid exaggerating or sensationalizing avoidable issues, let alone rejoicing over the suffering of others, thus exacerbating racial division and eventually escalating into social conflict.

“No one can arbitrarily make statements that hurt and harm others, like some netizens who told others to "go back to another country" in the recent debate.

“We must remember that Malaysia's ethnic diversity is a unique advantage and should not be used as a tool for political manipulation.

“If we have a lot of energy, we should use it to serve the people and contribute to the country's economic development.

“If this energy is repeatedly exploited and used to divide and weaken, our advantage will eventually become a disadvantage, not only to the detriment of one ethnic group, but the entire country,” he added.

He said as Visit Malaysia Year 2026 is approaching, Malaysians should unite  and focus on serving the people, promoting the economy, and enhancing the country's image, rather than getting entangled in unnecessary issues that do not help solve the problem.

He added there is no need to create continuous conflicts for short-term emotions or to gain political interests, stating that the stability of the country and the well-being of its people are  shared and paramount responsibility.

Will FTES be terminated if students perform poorly in their examinations? Asks social activist

KUCHING, Dec 25 2025: A social activist Voon Shiak Ni is seeking clarification from the state government if free tertiary education Sarawak (FTES) scheme will be terminated in the event that the students perform poorly in their examinations. 

Voon Shiak Ni: The clarification is needed to clear the air on the Free Tertiary Education Scheme 

She said these are some existing concerns on the ground which call for clarification as to whether there is any termination criteria on the financial support to be provided by the government for its recipients of the scheme .

“The concerns were raised by public with reference to Public Service Department (JPA) scholarship and also Yayasan Sarawak sponsorship for university students where the continuance of the financial support is dependant on the recipient’s examination results during the course .

“For example , the scholarship or financial support will be terminated if the recipient's examination results do not meet the minimum academic requirements set by JPA .

“In other words , the privilege is conditional on the performance of the recipient throughout the course,” Voon said.

“In the circumstances, the public has expressed their concerns about the enrollment to institutions like University Technology Sarawak (UTS), Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University of Technology and i-CATS University College,  which are  private institutions and their tuition fees are comparatively  much higher than public university like Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) .

“If there is a termination criteria,  the possibility that  the free education scheme can be taken away midway of the recipient’s course, then parents are worried they will be burdened with the education fees of the private institution which may not be affordable to them,”  she said.

KUCHING, Dec 25 2025: A social activist Voon Shiak Nie is seeking clarification from the state government if free tertiary education Sarawak (FTES) scheme will be terminated in the event that the students perform poorly in their examinations.

She said these are some existing concerns on the ground which call for clarification as to whether there is any termination criteria on the financial support to be provided by the government for its recipients of the scheme .

“The concerns were raised by public with reference to Public Service Department (JPA) scholarship and also Yayasan Sarawak sponsorship for university students where the continuance of the financial support is dependant on the recipient’s examination results during the course .

“For example , the scholarship or financial support will be terminated if the recipient's examination results do not meet the minimum academic requirements set by JPA .

“In other words , the privilege is conditional on the performance of the recipient throughout the course,” Voon said.

“In the circumstances, the public has expressed their concerns about the enrollment to institutions like University Technology Sarawak (UTS), Swinburne University of Technology, Curtin University of Technology and i-CATS University College,  which are  private institutions and their tuition fees are comparatively  much higher than public university like Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) .

“If there is a termination criteria,  the possibility that  the free education scheme can be taken away midway of the recipient’s course, then parents are worried they will be burdened with the education fees of the private institution which may not be affordable to them,”  she said.

She said that the clarification is needed to clear the air on FTES  on the issue of the existence of any termination criteria on the scheme after approval of the scheme for the applicant and the clarification is crucial for decision making.

Voon, however, said the launch of  FTES by the state government is a progressive people’s centric scheme which no doubt will help a lot of families to enable their children to pursue tertiary education and it is  measure applauded  by all Sarawakians .

She noted that Premier Abang Johari Openg had said the scheme aimed to help families to overcome  financial barriers in sending their children to universities and to build long-term human capital for Sarawak.

 

Voon, however, said the launch of  FTES by the state government is a progressive people’s centric scheme which no doubt will help a lot of families to enable their children to pursue tertiary education and it is  measure applauded  by all Sarawakians .

She noted that Premier Abang Johari Openg had said the scheme aimed to help families to overcome  financial barriers in sending their children to universities and to build long-term human capital for Sarawak.

 

In his Christmas Day's message, Sarawak governor expresses his concern in the rise of bullying cases across the country

KUCHING, Dec 24 2025: Governor Tun Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has expressed his concern in the rise of serious social issues, such as bullying cases reported across the country.

He said according to a report by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, the number of bullying cases (physical, verbal, and cyber) in 2024 was 6,208 cases, indicating that this issue is serious.

“Road  accident cases are on the rise,” he said in his Christmas Day’s message.

He added local media reported that Sarawak recorded 19,964 road accident cases in 2024, an increase of 2.4 percent compared to 19,498 cases in 2023.

The governor also expressed his concern in the rise of house fire cases, noting that a total of 15 cases of house fires, including longhouses and private houses, occurred this year, indicating that many homes in Sarawak are still exposed to the risk of fire.

“These incidents cause loss of life and property, and we hope that such cases can be reduced in the future,” he said.

He said it is important for there to be cooperation between the government and the local community and the commitment of various parties to continue to take proactive steps in prevention, improvement, and more appropriate actions to deal with these cases rather than continuing to increase.

The governor also called on the people to wise in using and evaluating Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, stating that although AI offers many benefits and conveniences, it also has dangers and risks that need to be paid attention to.

“These include manipulation and deception, the spread of false information, and propaganda that can affect individual privacy and security.

“It can even potentially trigger misunderstandings and racial divisions. Therefore, it is important for the government, industry and society to collaborate in setting regulations and standards for the safe, ethical and responsible use of AI,” he added.

He expressed his hope that the people of Sarawak do not blindly accept all information or content generated by AI., urging all citizens  to always check facts and maintain analytical thinking skills and be savvy, active, and ethical users of AI.