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Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud Passes Away

Feb 21, 2024

Former Sarawak Yang Di-Pertua Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud has passed away at the age of 87.

He died earlier this morning, at a private hospital in KL.

Astro Awani reports that the body will first be brought to Masjid Negara, before being flown back to the Sarawak legislative assembly building in Kuching later today for final respects.

He is then expected to be laid to rest at his private residence in Demak Jaya.

Sarawak has also announced two days of mourning.

Besides serving as governor for three terms until last month, Tun Abdul Taib was also Sarawak’s longest-serving Chief Minister from 1981 to 2014.

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The Malaysian Medical Association has given its backing to the proposal to establish designated smoking areas.

It feels that if properly executed, the move can lead to the gradual de-normalization of smoking.

The MMA adds that the Health Ministry will need to work closely with municipal councils and premise owners if the smoking areas are to be effectively implemented.

It also says that public health must remain the highest priority – and not the convenience of shop owners or smokers.

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There will be a higher threat of cyberattacks in Malaysia this year.

A global cybersecurity firm says organisations dealing with personal data in the financial and telco industries are particularly at risk.

It adds that hackers are constantly evolving their tactics and looking for new weaknesses to exploit, which is why businesses need to prioritize security of their systems.

The company also revealed that it managed to block over 26 million internet-borne attacks in Malaysia last year, representing about 74 thousand attacks per day.

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The Bank Negara governor says the ringgit’s recent sharp decline does not reflect the positive prospects of the Malaysian economy – adding that the currency’s drop has been influenced by external factors.