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MCA open to discussing 'borrowed seats' within BN, says Wee Ka Siong
MCA is willing to discuss seat allocation or 'borrowing seats' with fellow Barisan Nasional parties to ensure the coalition's victory at the next general election. Its president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the matter must be discussed jointly and cannot be decided unilaterally, citing the handover of the Duyong state seat to UMNO in the 2022 Melaka state election. He said the final decision on seat and candidate allocation must go through negotiations and be decided by the top leadership of the party and BN.
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Four Johor schools contest DRB-HICOM pantun semi-final in Pontian
The southern zone semi-final of the DRB-HICOM and Harian Metro Pantun competition takes place at SMK Dato' Penggawa Barat in Pontian, Johor, tomorrow. Four schools - SMK Dato' Sulaiman, SMK Skudai, SMK Anjung Batu and the host school - compete for the Johor slot in the 29 September final. The competition is a strategic collaboration between DRB-HICOM and Harian Metro to revive the traditional pantun among students.
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MCA ready for early GE16, says Wee
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the party must be ready for the 16th General Election even if it is called earlier than scheduled. Speaking after officiating the MCA Johor Annual Convention in Yong Peng, he said each state needs its own strategy and cited the party's improved performance in recent Johor and Negeri Sembilan state elections.
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MCA open to BN cooperation but says principles must not be sidelined
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said political cooperation within Barisan Nasional is unavoidable but must not set aside the principles and interests of component parties. Speaking at the Johor MCA convention in Yong Peng, he also commented on UMNO Kluang's wish to borrow an MCA seat for GE16.
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Police officer injured after falling off motorcycle while chasing cable theft suspect in Kluang
A police officer was injured after falling off his motorcycle while chasing a red Mitsubishi pickup truck suspected of cable theft in Kluang at about 5.54am today. The suspect fled the scene, and police have urged the public to report any sightings to the nearest police station or the Kluang district police headquarters. The case is being investigated under Section 379 for theft and Section 353 for obstructing a public servant.
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Tour bus catches fire at KM137 of North-South Expressway near Yong Peng, all 15 escape
A tour bus carrying 14 passengers and a driver caught fire at KM137 of the northbound North-South Expressway near Yong Peng, Batu Pahat. All 15 people escaped unhurt after the driver and tour leader evacuated them before firefighters arrived. The bus was about 80 per cent destroyed and the blaze was put out at 2.48pm.
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Oil waste pollutes Kluang river: thousands of fish and prawns found dead
Oil waste contamination in Sungai Sembrong in Kluang, Johor has killed thousands of fish and freshwater prawns, which were found floating from yesterday evening. Villagers from Air Pasir, Kuala Senga, Sedohok and Sungai Peroh alerted authorities, and a report has been lodged with the Kluang Environment Department (JAS). Local fishermen dependent on the river now face long-term livelihood disruption.
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Kluang man climbs 2.5m gantry to remove dangling road sign
A 31-year-old private-sector worker in Kluang, Johor climbed a 2.5-metre overhead gantry on Jalan Haji Manan to remove a damaged height-limit sign dangling dangerously after a storm. Mohammad Rafi Norrizan said he acted out of concern for public safety, and a video of the incident was shared on TikTok.
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Ipoh storekeeper pleads not guilty to molesting convenience store worker
A 23-year-old storekeeper was brought before the Ipoh Magistrate's Court on two charges of molesting and insulting the modesty of a 19-year-old convenience store worker. The alleged offence took place at a shop in Panorama Lapangan Perdana on 24 August. The court set bail at RM4,000 and fixed 22 October for mention.
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Factory operator pleads not guilty to injuring traffic policeman in Kota Tinggi
A 25-year-old factory operator pleaded not guilty at the Kota Tinggi Magistrate's Court to two charges of reckless driving and causing serious injury to a traffic policeman on Jalan Yusuf on 13 September. The court granted RM5,000 bail with one surety for each charge and set 5 October for mention.
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Three dogs in Johor toddler attack still at large, traps set in Kampung Tambak
About 10 stray dogs were seen roaming near the home in Kampung Tambak, Peserai, Batu Pahat, where two-year-old Nur Haira Wafiqah Mohammad Hamizi was mauled last week. Three of the five dogs that attacked her remain uncaught, and traps have been placed. The toddler is warded at Sultanah Aminah Hospital and is expected to need reconstructive surgery on her head and face.
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Nur Haira Wafiqah, 2, to undergo plastic surgery after stray dog attack in Batu Pahat
A two-year-old girl, Nur Haira Wafiqah Mohammad Hamizi, is expected to undergo plastic surgery on her head and face after being attacked by stray dogs in Kampung Tambak, Peserai, Batu Pahat. She is being treated at Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Bahru and can now breathe without a ventilator. Villagers are worried after a separate pack of about 10 stray dogs was spotted in a nearby oil palm estate.
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Quadruplets from Kelantan enrol in same UTHM degree programme
Four 23-year-old quadruplet brothers from Kota Bharu, Kelantan have registered as new students at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) for the 2026/2027 academic session. All four chose the same Bachelor of Real Estate Management (Honours) programme. A total of 3,302 new students registered at the Parit Raja main campus and the Pagoh campus in Muar.
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Queen visits family of Kluang fire victims, home to be rebuilt
Raja Permaisuri Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah visited the family of the victims of a fire in Taman Titiwangsa, Kluang, Johor, which killed a mother and two of her children last Wednesday. She presented cash and basic necessities through the Raja Zarith Sofiah Johor Foundation and ordered the Sultan Ibrahim Johor Foundation to fully fund repairs and rebuilding of the family's two-storey terrace house.
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Animal rights activist: stray dog issue stems from government failure
An animal rights activist has criticised calls for tougher action against stray dogs, saying the problem stems from the government's years-long failure to manage abandonment, breeding and licensing. He spoke after a two-year-old girl was badly injured when five stray dogs attacked her near her grandmother's house in Sungai Kelambu, Johor on 5 September.
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Queen visits Kluang family who lost wife and two sons in fire
Raja Permaisuri Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah visited Khairul Nizam Wahid, 50, whose wife and two sons died in a house fire at Taman Titiwangsa, Kluang on 9 September. She offered condolences and aid to the family, and also delivered contributions to three other asnaf recipients in the Kluang district.
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Batu Pahat council steps up stray dog catch after child attacked in Peserai
Batu Pahat Municipal Council is intensifying its stray dog catching operations after a two-year-old girl was attacked by five stray dogs in Kampung Tambak, Peserai, on 5 September. The council has caught 736 stray dogs in 205 operations up to 31 August this year, following 1,557 caught last year. It is also drafting a 2027-2031 Stray Animal Control Action Plan.
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MMEA seizes RM160,000 in drug-laced vape cartridges after suspect flees off Senggarang
More than 600 vape cartridges containing liquid suspected to be the synthetic cannabinoid known as "Piu Piu", worth an estimated RM160,000, were seized along the shore in Senggarang, Batu Pahat, Johor. The suspect fled in a fibre boat when he spotted a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency patrol boat on Sept 5. Samples of the liquid have been sent for laboratory analysis.
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JKR denies Cameron Highlands bypass project caused Tanah Rata floods, landslide
The Public Works Department has denied that the Cameron Highlands bypass project caused flash floods and a landslide in Tanah Rata last Friday, saying no physical construction has started. It said the project is still at the design and assessment stage, and that the flooding at MARDI's agro-technology park and the small landslide on Jalan Tengkolok were on secondary roads outside the main project alignment.
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Malayan tiger Yong Choh released into Tasik Kenyir
A female Malayan tiger named Yong Choh was released back into its natural habitat at Taman Negara Terengganu, Tasik Kenyir on 6 September after rehabilitation at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Sungkai. It was captured in Kampung Choh, Sungai Siput, Perak on 22 July 2026 following human-wildlife conflict. The article also discusses post-release monitoring challenges and lessons from tiger conservation programmes in Russia and India.
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Motorcyclist dies after being crushed by truck that veered off in Batu Pahat
A 29-year-old motorcyclist died after being crushed by a truck that veered off the road at Kilometre 116 of the Johor Bahru-Melaka road in Batu Pahat yesterday morning. Police said the victim suffered severe head and leg injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 47-year-old truck driver hurt his back. The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
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AME Elite buys 176 acres in Pontian for i-Park project
AME Elite Consortium Bhd is acquiring 176.45 acres of freehold agricultural land in Jeram Batu, Pontian, Johor, for RM199.8 million from Hak Soon Seng Plantation (M). RHB Research maintained its BUY call and raised its target price to RM2.33, saying the site could become another i-Park industrial development benefiting from the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. The acquisition, funded internally, is expected to complete in the first half of 2027.
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JAINJ raids Kluang shophouse, detains man who paid RM200 for sex
A man in his 20s was detained by Johor Islamic religious authority officers after allegedly paying RM200 to solicit a foreign prostitute at a four-storey shophouse in Kluang. The 3.05pm raid found two curtained rooms, used and unused condoms, and a local woman in her 30s. The case is being investigated under khalwat and prostitution-related offences.
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Mother's sambal chicken dish never eaten by son killed in Bukit Kelicap crash
A 29-year-old man died after his motorcycle was hit by a lorry that skidded at Kilometre 116 of the Johor Bahru-Melaka road near Bukit Kelicap, Batu Pahat, at about 7.30am yesterday. His mother, Samsiah Kassan, 67, said the sambal chicken she packed for him was still in good condition. The 47-year-old lorry driver injured his hip and the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.