NPE 2 uses barrier-free toll system, reducing peak-time congestion

KUALA LUMPUR,JUNE 24 — The New Pantai Expressway Extension Project (NPE 2) will use a barrier-free toll collection system or Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) when fully completed to reduce traffic congestion, especially during peak hours. IJM Corporation Berhad (IJM) Toll Division Chief Executive Officer Chua Lay Hoon said the project, which is expected to be […]
Security guard jailed for eight months, fined RM50,000 for making offensive comments about the Agong

KUCHING, JUNE 24 — A security guard was jailed for eight months and fined RM50,000 by the Sessions Court here today after pleading guilty to posting offensive comments against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim via his Facebook account. Judge Iris Awen Jon imposed the sentence on Raden Mohamad Norhakim Raden Ibrahim, 46, and ordered […]
Sultan of Kedah visits Sultan Abdul Samad Building

KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 24 — The Sultan of Kedah Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah agreed to pay a visit to the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (BSAS) on Jalan Raja, here today. His Majesty arrived at approximately 10.30am at the BSAS Porte Cochere, where he was welcomed by Khazanah Nasional Managing Director Datuk Amirul […]
Parliament: CPC Code provides practical, safe age verification mechanism for social media – Fahmi
![KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 24 -- The Child Protection Code (CPC) sets out a safe, practical and responsible age verification mechanism to ensure that only eligible users are allowed to access social media platforms. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the CPC together with the Risk Reduction Code (RMC) were published by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on May 22, and came into effect on June 1 under the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866]. He said both codes aim to create a safer online environment, particularly to protect children from online risks and harm. "Under the CPC, licensed service providers offering social media services are required to implement an age verification mechanism, rather than identity verification, to ensure compliance with the minimum age limit set. "Users who have reached the age of 16 are allowed to register and have social media accounts, while individuals under that age are not allowed to open or have social media accounts until they reach the specified age," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, today. He was answering Syahredzan Johan's (PH-Bangi) original question regarding the purpose of implementing age verification for social media accounts, as well as measures to ensure access to personal data is restricted and deleted after use. Fahmi said the implementation of the mechanism should be done safely, practically and respectful of user privacy, in line with the requirements set out under the CPC. Social media service providers are also required to ensure that the process complies with laws relating to personal data protection, including the principles of data minimization, and purpose limitation by limiting data collection to information necessary for age verification purposes and disposing of it upon completion. He said the age verification mechanism should be implemented based on official documents issued by the Malaysian Government such as MyKad, passport, birth certificate or other documents recognised by the government. "To ensure that the age verification mechanism is not manipulated, age verification must be supported by official government records and not just self-declaration." "The CPC also allows the use of other documents recognised by the Malaysian Government, including equivalent records issued by competent authorities in other jurisdictions so that access to online protection can be provided equitably to all children regardless of their documentation status," he said. Fahmi said the implementation of age verification does not permanently prevent children from using social media, but rather postpones account ownership until they reach the age of 16, and have a more appropriate level of maturity to use the platform safely and responsibly. He said the approach known as the "Wait 16" initiative was introduced to protect children and families from online risks and harm. -- BERNAMA](https://minutesmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TB_Fahmi-Fadzil-Dewan-Rakyat_BERNAMA-1024x576.webp)
KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 24 — The Child Protection Code (CPC) sets out a safe, practical and responsible age verification mechanism to ensure that only eligible users are allowed to access social media platforms. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the CPC together with the Risk Reduction Code (RMC) were published by the Malaysian Communications and […]
SMK Suria Jaya Expected To Begin Operations In September

BATU PAHAT, June 24 — Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Suria Jaya here is expected to commence operations in September after the Ministry of Education (MOE) handed over the school project under a Certificate of Partial Occupation (CPO) yesterday. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek expressed appreciation to the project management team, consultants, relevant government agencies, utility providers […]
UK Tribunal Allows £3 Billion Lawsuit Against Apple Over iCloud Storage

MOSCOW, June 24 — The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal has granted permission for consumer advocacy group Which? to sue US tech giant Apple for £3 billion (US$3.95 billion) in damages over its iCloud cloud storage service, the group said, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti. “Which? believes that Apple has breached UK competition law by failing to provide […]
Gov’t Open To Proposals To Improve BUDI Diesel Programme – Amir Hamzah

KUCHING, June 24 — The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is taking an open approach to considering any proposals to ensure that the BUDI MADANI Diesel (BUDI Diesel) programme runs smoothly. Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said any decision regarding the programme, including the issue of increasing quotas, would be made based on actual […]
100PLUS MGA NJDP Junior Series Set To Serve As Launchpad For Young Golfers

SERDANG, June 24 — The newly-launched 100PLUS Malaysian Golf Association (MGA) National Junior Development Programme (NJDP) Junior Series 2026 is set to become a key launchpad for the country’s rising young golfers. MGA president Tan Sri Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor said the series would serve as a qualifying platform for the Malaysian Junior International Open […]
Trip.com Group Reveals What Travellers Want This Summer: Shorter Trips and Cooler Escapes
![SINGAPORE, June 24 -- 2026 is fast shaping to be another record year of travel, as jetsetters seek to tick off their holiday checklists and fulfil their wanderlust. Looking back at the first half of 2026, Trip.com Group found that users from Mainland China, the United Kingdom and Malaysia were the most avid about clocking their miles, travelling up to 2,800km on average, which is equivalent to the distance between Beijing and Manila, or London and Tenerife. Across regions, cosmopolitan hubs and mega cities continue to be tourism hotspots, with the top-ranked cities by flight bookings being Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Taipei[1]. The second half of 2026 will continue to be a busy travel period, as many welcome the summer vacations, sunny weather and the school holidays. Outbound flight bookings from regions like Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia are seeing double-digit growth year-on-year (YoY) this summer and school holidays, based on Trip.com Group's data, and driving this increase are some key trends observed this summer, including demand for quick getaways, family holidays and coolcations[2]. Quick Getaways Dominate Vacations This Summer Quick escapes are the way to go this summer. The average trip duration of bookings made during this period ranges from 2.92 days to 3.8 days, with short-haul flights forming the majority of bookings. This is especially prominent in Europe, where short-haul flight bookings are seeing a YoY increase of 73%. Long weekend travel, a form of quick getaway where people combine one to two days of annual leave with a long weekend, continues to be popular. This summer, bookings for short trips of 4 days or less are showing YoY increases above 40% in the East Asia and Europe regions, and above 15% in Southeast Asia. This incline is expected to grow further into the second half of 2026, especially for East Asia and Southeast Asia regions, suggesting that quick getaways will continue to dominate travellers' itineraries for the rest of the year. Family Travel Takes the Lead More travellers are choosing to go on family trips this summer, taking advantage of the school holiday break. Hotel bookings by families with children aged 12 and below this summer have increased across regions, and more than doubled in markets like Mainland China, South Korea and Japan, based on Trip.com Group data. A recent Trip.com Group survey also found that travelling with family is ranked as the most appealing experience, placed higher than a trip with a partner, friends or solo travel. This trend is even more pronounced in markets like the UK, Germany, Singapore and South Korea, especially among older Millennials or those aged 35 to 44 years old. What this means is that family-first experiences are becoming a top priority for travellers, whether it is selecting convenient flight timings or having family-friendly food and activities nearby in the accommodation they choose. Having the right accommodation for the trip is particularly important to Gen Zs and Millennials, and factors they look out for include having family-friendly options and whether the hotel is near to child-friendly attractions[3]. In Southeast Asia, some of the top-booked attractions this summer include family-friendly experiences such as Bali Zoo in Indonesia, as well as Desaru Water Adventure Park and Entopia by Penang Butterfly Farm in Malaysia, while theme parks like Universal Studios Japan, Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland are highly popular choices in East Asia. Coolcations See Hotter Demand As global temperatures rise, travellers are increasingly swapping the sun and sand for cooler weather and activities. Data from Trip.com Group shows a 74% YoY increase in searches for cooler destinations and coolcations since the start of this year[4]. Topics like "escape the heat", "summer escapes" and "cool summer retreat" are trending, as travellers prioritise experiences away from the crowds and sweltering heat. Trip Moments, Trip.com's community platform for travellers to share experiences and seek inspiration, has seen a 15.4% YoY increase in content last summer that spotlights cool summer getaway destinations, as well as tips and tricks to beat the heat[5]. Beyond popular coastal cities like Palma Mallorca, Izmir, Malaga and Porto, global flight booking searches for European destinations such as Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and Wales are seeing significant increases this summer, compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, cooler destinations in Asia like Inner Mongolia, Sapporo and Yunnan, are experiencing a growing interest from international travellers. Notably, Ulaanbaatar and Sapporo, with comfortable temperatures averaging around 15°C to 25°C this summer, are among the top 10 most-booked cities for South Koreans, showing strong triple-digit YoY growth. For cooler getaways this summer, Trip.com users can easily get recommendations on top-ranked destinations for summer water activities or cool water escapes via Trip.Best, a data-backed travel guide and inspiration for accommodation, attractions, destinations and more. Less Thinking, More AI Planning Travellers are no longer planning their trips by scouring the internet for information, but leaving the hard work to AI, Trip.com Group's recent report found. With readily available AI travel tools such as TripGenie and Trip.Planner, users can get customised itineraries and assistance in a matter of seconds, and this is shifting behaviours. Google search interest for "help plan my trip" grew by 190% YoY, while TripGenie's AI-assisted order volume on Trip.com increased by around 400% year-on-year, indicating a deeper reliance on AI for inspiration and bookings. Beyond pre-trip planning, travellers also see AI as a useful companion during their trip. The use of core TripGenie tools, such as hotel comparison, menu assistance, and live translation, increased by around 300% year-on-year. While travellers in highly connected, short-haul travel markets such as Hong Kong SAR, Singapore and Malaysia, tend to interact with TripGenie more often per trip for in-destination inspiration and attraction guides, travellers in parts of Europe and North America typically engage AI earlier in the planning cycle, consulting TripGenie weeks in advance. This signals a growing shift towards the use of AI as an integral part of travel planning and the travel journey, making it even easier for people to explore the world in 2026 and beyond. -- PRNewswire -- Source: Trip.com Group](https://minutesmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/image5.jpg)
SINGAPORE, June 24 — 2026 is fast shaping to be another record year of travel, as jetsetters seek to tick off their holiday checklists and fulfil their wanderlust. Looking back at the first half of 2026, Trip.com Group found that users from Mainland China, the United Kingdom and Malaysia were the most avid about clocking their miles, […]
Malaysia’s foreign direct investment to jump 41.2 percent to RM65.9 billion in 2025 – DOSM

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Malaysia in 2025 will jump 41.2 percent to RM65.9 billion from RM46.7 billion the previous year, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM). Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the excellent performance was supported by equity injections from foreign investors and inflows in debt instruments. […]